Ease into Easter

Watch out for seasonal whiplash. Ready or not, we’re hopping madly towards the first big family gathering since Christmas. If you’re still recovering from a brutal winter, far removed from the pastel-clad merriment of egg hunts, parades, and garden parties, fear not. There’s still plenty of time to shake off any residual frost and turn out a stunning dessert.

Inspired by the brilliant fresh flavor of real berries baked into Voortman Raspberry Wafers, these light and crispy creme-filled cookies have kept me sane in the dark days of barren farmers markets and middling fresh fruit options. Now, paired with the tender ruby gems themselves, those sweet sticks become the building blocks of even greater tastes.

Swapping bland, spongy ladyfingers for these new treats from Voortman injects new life into an Italian staple. Stacking bright, vibrant layers of flavor with the greatest of ease, anyone can assemble this masterpiece in minutes.

Be it an elegant brunch or low-key gathering with friends, it’s hard to beat this invigorating combination of rich, tangy cream cut by a touch of citrus zest, lightly spiked and softened wafers, and whole fresh raspberries. Bundle up the whole pan to go and take it away on breezy springtime picnics, since it’s surprisingly stable at room temperature too.

Served immediately, the cookies will remain crunchy for a resoundingly satisfying bite, but hold up brilliantly to delayed gratification. After a day or overnight, you’ll enjoy a more tender forkful from top to bottom, easy to slice, serve, and fully embrace with an open mouth. Go ahead, prep well in advance, so you can be ready whenever your party springs to life.

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Silent Saturday: Berried Treasure



In case you’re hungry for some edible precious gems of your own, I have a little gift to at least whet your appetite. Click around and you’ll find that the second image will expand into a full-sized wallpaper, which can be downloaded to enjoy as your desktop wallpaper. Simply right click the larger version, select “Set as Desktop Background,” and choose the “Stretch” option to best fit to your screen.

Ripe for the Picking

Bursting with juice and teetering on the very edge of over-ripening, these ruby gems tumble off their vines effortlessly. Raining into waiting cardboard pints and open mouths, each edible jewel tastes like the summer sun itself. There is nothing I’d rather do on a warm July morning than lose myself in the meditative process of picking raspberries. Hours later, I’ll emerge berry-stained and stuffed, rich with a truly fruitful bounty.

Click on the photo to view it full size, and help yourself if you’d like to save it as a desktop wallpaper. Simply right click, select “Set as Desktop Background,” and choose either the “Fill” or “Stretch” option to properly fill your screen.