Hi Everyone! I hope that your last couple of months (yes, two months almost!) have been lovely. All is well here. My time has been spent helping family get through some surgery and recovery, traveling, work, hiking, birthdays…you know, life in general. But all is good, I’m back online and ready to share more trails leading to good food.
I’ll start off by mentioning that not only is this my 200th post, but today is the 4 year anniversary of this blog! That first post, Ode to Red Speckled Grits, was all about testing the waters of websites and blogging…and once I started, I was hooked. Thanks to all of you who found me, encouraged me and joined me in this adventure. And thanks for sharing your own blogs while giving me informative and fun dialog along the way. Please join me for the beginning of the next 4 years!
Celebrations require some dessert, and with all of the lovely fruits available in this almost summer season, I want to share a quick and easy celebratory recipe where fresh fruit is the star. I’ve always loved tiramisu…the little “pick me up” from Italy. The traditional recipe involves a rich and delicious combo of ladyfingers, cream, mascarpone, coffee, marsala wine, chocolate and sometimes egg yolks. Nothing wrong with that.
This version, however, is a little lighter take on the original and can be quite versatile in terms of changing out seasonal fruits and whatever booze strikes your fancy. Filled with juicy berries and peaches, creamy mascarpone cheese lightened with yogurt and a bit of fresh citrus zest for some zing—along with the traditional ladyfingers and liquor—this satisfying dessert keeps much of the texture and feel of the original tiramisu with about half the calories. It’s a “pick me up” that comes together quickly, resulting in a cool, light and elegant dessert, just perfect for the hot weather season or whenever you need a delicious finish to a meal. Try my two variations below and then have some fun experimenting on your own.
Easy Fresh Fruit Tiramisu for 2
(can be doubled or quadrupled as needed)
For Blueberry-Peach-Almond Tiramisu:
3/4 cup fresh blueberries, washed and dried
1 cup fresh peaches, peeled and sliced, with their juice
1/2 teaspoon fresh lemon zest
3 generous tablespoons mascarpone cheese
1 generous tablespoon plain greek yogurt (I use 2%)
1 teaspoon powdered sugar
3 teaspoons of amaretto, divided
4 hard italian ladyfingers (can use the soft kind if you prefer, but hard holds up better)
1 generous tablespoon of toasted, slivered almonds
In a small bowl, whisk together the lemon zest, mascarpone, yogurt, powdered sugar and one teaspoon of Amaretto, until smooth. Break two ladyfingers into four pieces each and place four pieces (one ladyfinger for each glass) into the bottom of two pretty glasses…low ball, brandy snifter or wine glasses work perfectly. Drizzle 1/2 teaspoon of Amaretto per glass over the ladyfingers. Spoon 1/4 of the peaches and some juice over the ladyfingers in each glass, then top with 1/4 of the blueberries per glass. Layer 1 generous Tablespoon of the mascarpone mixture on top of the fruit in each glass. Sprinkle 1/4 of the toasted almonds into each glass. Repeat the layers with the remaining ladyfingers broken into 4 pieces each, the Amaretto, peaches, blueberries and mascarpone mixture evenly divided, and finish with the remaining toasted almonds. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes before serving to allow the flavors to blend. Serve and enjoy.
For Peach “Melba” Tiramisu:
Substitute 3/4 cup fresh raspberries for the blueberries, orange zest for the lemon and Grand Marnier for the Amaretto. Omit almonds and proceed the same as for Blueberry-Peach-Almond, garnishing the top with a raspberry and some fresh mint, if desired.
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A few scenes from our latest adventures in North Carolina.
bits and breadcrumbs 
I’ve MISSED YOU – glad you’re back!! O M G – what fabulous photos!!!!!!! Thanks for sharing them. Love this recipe – ‘pinning it’ but you know I always do!!
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Oh, thank you so very much Cecile!!! You made my day. I figured everyone had forgotten about me by now. 🙂 And thanks also for your great compliments. I hope you like this dessert if you try it. It fits well into a healthier eating lifestyle…a small indulgence! 😉
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Hell No!! No one forgot you – you just took a break – we knew you’d be back!!
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Thank you again, Cecile. You’re my cheerleader! 😉
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Lovely to see you and congratulations on the anniversaries! Do hope the family who have been unwell are doing ok. Lovely recipe. Big Man and I are trying to eat a bit sensibly without depriving ourselves and a dessert like this perfectly fits the bill 🙂
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Hi Tanya and thank you so much for your congrats, good thoughts and compliment. Can’t believe it’s been 4 years! My mom had hip replacement surgery in April and was in rehab into May, so we were in Alabama with her quite a bit through all of that. She’s doing amazingly well now, thankfully. 🙂 We, too, are trying to eat a bit sensibly without depriving ourselves…I like the way you put that!
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Congratulations! I’m approaching three years of blogging, and it seems like forever! I love mostly the community of people who share the passion for food, and I’ve been able to meet some in person, which is the best!!! Fabulous tiramisu!
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Thank you Mimi. And congrats to you, too! I agree, finding the community of folks all over this planet who share a passion for food had been one of the best things about blogging. 🙂
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Happy Anniversary! Four years already, that is quite an accomplishment Betsy. I have truly enjoyed reading your lovely hiking posts as well as the tasty recipes. I also love that your taking desserts a little lighter, much appreciated. Tiramisu has to be one of my all time favourite desserts, but it’s deceiving because it tastes so light but is full of fat and cream, adding the fruit not only takes it to the next level it classes it up too (is that a word?). I look for forward to reading many more years of your blog.
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Thank you so much, Eva. I really appreciate all of your great comments and “chatting” with you. So wonderful to have “met” such good folks such as yourself via blogging. Also happy you like my reconstructed tiramisu. I was pleased to find that adding the yogurt to the mascarpone really works well and you don’t miss the cream a bit. Lightening up is my new mantra. 🙂
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CONGRATULATIONS, Betsy!!!!! Here is to the next 4 years. I have enjoyed your posts, your beautiful hiking photos and recipes. Mountain laurel is one of my favorite flowers and I have a few plants in my garden. My mouth is drooling over the tiramisu.
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Thank you SO much, Norma. I’m so pleased that you’ve enjoyed the hiking images as well as the recipes. 🙂 Wasn’t that mountain laurel gorgeous? I’ve never been in the mountains when that much of it was blooming. It was stunning.
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Congrats on 200 posts. I love the look of your desserts – the glass serving dishes are beautiful and the colours of the desserts, very gorgeous. Sorry to hear you’ve had some surgery but hoping you are by now, well on the mend xx
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Hi Charlie and thank you. I am fine and did not have surgery. My mom had the surgery and we spent a lot of time helping her through the process. She’s doing amazingly well now, though. 🙂
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Congratulations on your anniversary…I will defiantly continue to follow along. I like your lighter version of tiramisu, it sounds great.
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Thank you so much, Karen! I so appreciate your reading and your comments. Glad you like my tiramisu. 🙂
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4 years, hip hip hooray! That deserves it’s own special birthday cake, so let’s say I’m sending you a virtual one full of sugary happiness!
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Thank you so much, Pamela, for your comment and your good wishes, as well as the virtual cake! 🙂 Yes, 4 years seems to have flown by somehow as far as the blog is concerned. That’s when you know you enjoy a thing, when the time doing it goes by so fast. 🙂
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Congrats on your blog birthday! yes, yes! Keep on going for many years to come!
Cheers!
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Thank you so much, Sophie!
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I never would have thought of a fruity version. Truly sounds delicious.
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