These Portable, Heat-Resistant Desserts Are Perfect for Picnics
The perfect ending to a picnic meal is usually watermelon, but for those who like something more substantial, consider these top picnic dessert recipes. They have no cream fillings or buttery frostings that melt in the heat and present a health hazard. They transport well and can be sliced ahead of time with no loss in moisture. Enjoy these recipes with Top Grilling Recipes and Top Picnic Salad Recipes.
This recipe from "Gale Gand's Brunch!" (Clarkson Potter/Publisher, 2009) can be made with pears or apples and is another eminently portable dessert that can be sliced into squares and served from the pan they're baked in.More »
Blueberry-almond cake recipe is a moist Bundt cake that transports well. It combines three ingredients Eastern Europeans love -- blueberries, almond paste and sour cream. Wild blueberries and almonds grow in abundance in Eastern Europe and sour cream was a popular way of preserving whole cream, before it became the taste treat it is today. This cake can be served with blueberry sauce, if desired, but it stands on its own merits.More »
This recipe for Czech bublanina is made with seasonal fruit. It's a bit like a coffeecake in texture and is probably why it is sometimes served as a breakfast pastry. Commonly used fruits are sweet cherries, tart cherries, plums, nectarines, apricots, strawberries and blueberries, which I used in this version. The name "bublanina" comes from the Czech word for bubble and might refer to the fact that the cake batter bubbles up around the fruit, almost enveloping it.More »
Polish apple cake and Polish cheesecake are two of the most frequently seen desserts at Polish tables. There are hundreds of recipes for both. This is how my family likes apple cake. The Polish version of apple pie is known as szarlotka. But this is truly a cake -- placek ze jablka literally means "flat cake with apples." Try plums, peaches or nectarines in this recipe to good effect.More »
1. Bar Cookie Recipe - Czech Cukrovi
This recipe was given to me in the early '70s by a lovely Czech woman. Everyone seems to have it but the filling is usually apricot. I've never come across a recipe like this for almond and strawberry filling. The almond, while very sweet, seems to cut the richness of the dough. This recipe is definitely party size, but it can be cut in half with no loss in quality.More »2. Quick Pear or Apple Streusel Coffee Cake Recipe
This recipe from "Gale Gand's Brunch!" (Clarkson Potter/Publisher, 2009) can be made with pears or apples and is another eminently portable dessert that can be sliced into squares and served from the pan they're baked in.More »
3. Blueberry-Almond Cake Recipe
Blueberry-almond cake recipe is a moist Bundt cake that transports well. It combines three ingredients Eastern Europeans love -- blueberries, almond paste and sour cream. Wild blueberries and almonds grow in abundance in Eastern Europe and sour cream was a popular way of preserving whole cream, before it became the taste treat it is today. This cake can be served with blueberry sauce, if desired, but it stands on its own merits.More »
4. Bulgarian Roasted or Grilled Peaches Recipe
This recipe for Bulgarian roasted peaches can be made at home and transported to the picnic or prepared at the site on the grill. It can be served with whipped cream or vanilla ice cream but that's really gilding the lily. The peaches stand on their own merit.More »5. Cream Cheese Pound Cake Recipe
This recipe for cream cheese pound cake produces a much-coveted crackly crust, traditional with good-quality pound cakes. If this is esthetically displeasing to you, turn the cake over (as you would with a Bundt pan) and make the top the bottom! Even though this cake is made with cream cheese, once it's baked, it can be held at room temperature with no fear of spoiling.More »6. Rustic Plum Tart Recipe
This recipe for rustic plum tart is really an open-face pie that exists in almost every culture. This was my grandmother's way of treating us to dessert while she juggled a million other tasks, including washing and cooking for boarders.More »7. Twice-Baked Cookies Recipe - Jewish Mandelbrot Recipe
These Jewish twice-baked cookies are called mandelbrot, literally "almond bread." They can be made well in advance of your picnic because they keep so well in a tightly covered container or plastic bag.More »8. Czech Bublanina Dessert Recipe
This recipe for Czech bublanina is made with seasonal fruit. It's a bit like a coffeecake in texture and is probably why it is sometimes served as a breakfast pastry. Commonly used fruits are sweet cherries, tart cherries, plums, nectarines, apricots, strawberries and blueberries, which I used in this version. The name "bublanina" comes from the Czech word for bubble and might refer to the fact that the cake batter bubbles up around the fruit, almost enveloping it.More »
9. Butter Crunch Cookies Recipe
This recipe for butter crunch cookies can be made with pecans but, for a more economical version, use corn flakes. The flavor is slightly different but oh, so good. The corn flakes become almost caramelized, reminiscent of butterscotch bits.More »10. Apple Cake Recipe - Polish Placek ze Jablka
Polish apple cake and Polish cheesecake are two of the most frequently seen desserts at Polish tables. There are hundreds of recipes for both. This is how my family likes apple cake. The Polish version of apple pie is known as szarlotka. But this is truly a cake -- placek ze jablka literally means "flat cake with apples." Try plums, peaches or nectarines in this recipe to good effect.More »
