Marshmallow Dessert with Raspberry Coulis

If like me, you sometimes run out of time but still want to serve quick and easy dessert, give this marshmallow treat a try. I melted marshmallows into a creamy fluff and mixed with mascarpone cheese. This recipe utilizes a great shortcut: a blend of lecithin, xanthan gum and lemon extract as a binder, but of course you could firm up the cream with a regular egg custard.

I also made a delicious coulis de framboises ("raspberry sauce" in English) to brighten both the flavor and presentation of the dessert. The raspberries I used tasted great but weren't that visually appealing anymore. Sauces are always a great way to make use of the fruits in your kitchen that may have lost some of their sex appeal.

The main reason I made this dessert is that I have been feeling bad for my husband Lulu, who's whining a bit about how healthy our meals have become. It took me probably 20 minutes tops to assemble this beautiful dessert, so we both win! He's got it tough, hasn't he?

Healthy School Lunch: Raspberry Spinach Salad Recipe

I have to admit, we haven't had much problem getting the kids to eat their vegetables. How, you may ask? Well, my first rule is never trick them. Second, get your children involved in the kitchen. Once they start to enjoy cooking, they will become more emotionally interested in creating new dishes, which is exactly what you want them to do! Trust them and let them experiment with new flavor combinations.

They recently came up with a savory fruit salad with greens, which was delicious. Since today was my husband's little 7-year-old sister's first day at school, I packed a plastic container with the raspberry salad (my munchkin's favorite fruit) and raspberry salad dressing on the side. You could also make a sandwich layering a slice of cheese, raspberry salad and a slice of cold meat between toasted slices of bread.

Raspberry Cheese Pinwheel Appetizers

They may seem like an odd couple, but I paired raspberry and blue cheese to create these great party appetizers. First, I made a raspberry salad, tossed with pickled red onions, crumbled Gorgonzola cheese and candied walnuts. To make them easier to serve, I wrapped the raspberries in lavash flat bread and rolled them into pinwheel appetizers.

I secured the appetizers with party picks, so they would look elegant passed around on trays. They are great appetizers for finger food buffet parties and take no time to assemble. Fruits don't have to be used only in desserts!

Raspberry Buttermilk Cake Recipe

The secret of this moist raspberry cake recipe is buttermilk. It creates a light, fluffy texture that goes beautifully with a hot cup of tea. You could add any berries you like. This time I paired fresh raspberries with crunchy pistachios.

I baked the cakes in 6 mini molds and topped each dessert with fresh raspberries and crushed pistachios as a reminder of the flavors used in the cake batter. Heavenly!