Jello Chocolate Pudding Pie Recipe (No Bake Chocolate Pie)

Do you want to serve an elegant dessert for your next party, but you have very little time? Try these blackberry and chocolate cream pies. I created these no bake chocolate cream pies in almost no time for my little sis-in-law Lya's pool party. The girls helped me crush some Oreo cookies for the pie crust; we used instant Jell-O chocolate pudding and topped the mini pies with fresh berries. The mini pies were assembled in record time and they were gone just as fast.

After making the desserts, I had plenty of time to relax with the girls, which is exactly what I wanted. It’s no fun if everyone enjoys themselves at your party but you!

Cantaloupe and Cherry Fruit Salad with Maple Ginger Syrup

We're hitting the very end of cherry season in California. I made a fruit salad combining cherries and sweet cantaloupe. Once pitted and sliced, I let the fruits macerate in cardamom and ginger-flavored maple syrup until the juices begin to flow. I also spiced the fruit salad with thinly sliced candied ginger to accentuate the flavor.

This is a quick and easy dessert recipe that celebrates the end of the summer. There's probably a week or two left to enjoy cherries; otherwise you'll have to wait till next year or hit the frozen aisle of your market. 

Chocolate Pistachio Cream Pie (Easy Dessert Recipe)

I love the combination of pistachio and chocolate. These mini pies are made with a filling of pistachio pudding nestled in a chocolate-flavored graham cracker crust. To accentuate the chocolate flavor, I added a thin layer of Nutella in between.

For the pistachio cream, I made a hassle-free pudding using pistachio-flavored Jell-O instant pie filling. I've made pistachio pudding in the past using corn starch, half and half and pâte de pistache but the pistachio flavor doesn't come as well. So why go through the headache when the Jell-O product tastes better?

You could top the mini pies with meringue or whipped cream but I thought it wasn't necessary, so I decorated them with crushed pistachios. Voilà!

Strawberry and Blueberry Fruit Salad Recipe (Coupe Fraises Myrtilles)

Berries are in season and we bought delicious flavorful blueberries and strawberries from Rogue Valley Farmers' Market in Ashland, Oregon. I was amazed to discover all the locally grown produce there.

Here's an easy and simple fruit salad I made for a picnic we had in Lithia Park that I wanted to share with you. I took the blueberries and strawberries from the market and served them along with brownies and chantilly (whipped cream). It was a real success, as there were only empty bowls to bring home.

Nutella Crepes with Kiwi

Chocolate and kiwi are two of my favorite flavors. When combined, they enhance one another, creating subtleties that cannot be found in either ingredient on its own. In the past I've used them in cakes and other desserts, and today I thought it would be fun to use the combo as a crepe filling.

The chocolate part of the equation is satisfied by the French mainstay Nutella. Nutella, in case you don't know, is a chocolate hazelnut spread. I wasn't sure at first how the hazelnuts would play with kiwi, but after tasting the finished product, I can't imagine it any other way!