Fresh fruit always makes an appealing finish to any meal, but now you can turn it into something really special by serving it up in a cobbler, crumble, crisp, or slump; a pandowdy, flummery, betty, or grunt. You'll find the recipes for all these wonderful-sounding, great-tasting desserts -- plus pies and tarts, shortcakes, batter cakes, and other fruit favorites in this unique little book that provides a taste of our American culinary heritage from early New England, the Midwest farm country, and the Old West. Included are more than fifty easy recipes, traditional and new, from Apple-Cheddar Crumble, Blueberry Flummery, Warm Rhubarb Shortcakes, and White Peach and Mango Betty to Pineapple-Blood Orange Ambrosia, Frosty Mango Fool, and Floating Lemon Sponge Pie. You'll also find master recipes for crusts, toppings, and sauces, and tips on ingredients and preparation that will help you to whip up any of these heavenly desserts in no time at all. "Zimmerman & and Mellody define and describe early American and British dessert classics,then elevate many to new heights with novel twists and variations. Among the standouts: apple, rhubarb and fennel crisp... To their credit, the authors don't muck up these stalwarts by trying to please weight watchers; the recipes are replete with cream, milk and butter. However, the sheer volume of fresh fruit used tilts the balance toward satisfyingly healthful,if not exactly light fare" - Publisher's Weekly always makes an appealing finish to any meal, but now you can turn it into something really special by serving it up in a cobbler, crumble, crisp, or slump; a pandowdy, flummery, betty, or grunt. You'll find the recipes for all these wonderful-sounding, great-tasting desserts -- plus pies and tarts, shortcakes, batter cakes, and other fruit favorites in this unique little book that provides a taste of our American culinary heritage from early New England, the Midwest farm country, and the Old West. Included are more than fifty easy recipes, traditional and new, from Apple-Cheddar Crumble, Blueberry Flummery, Warm Rhubarb Shortcakes, and White Peach and Mango Betty to Pineapple-Blood Orange Ambrosia, Frosty Mango Fool, and Floating Lemon Sponge Pie. You'll also find master recipes for crusts, toppings, and sauces, and tips on ingredients and preparation that will help you to whip up any of these heavenly desserts in no time at all. Linda Zimmerman is a renowned culinary expert, lecturer, and writer in Los Angeles whose articles have appeared in numerous publications. She is a contributing editor for Food Arts magazine, the publisher/editor of the Los Angeles edition of The Food Yellow Pages, and the author of Puddings, Custards, and Flans. Peggy Mellody is a consultant, writer, editor, and cooking instructor whose work has earned her a reputation as a respected food authority. She is the coauthor of In the Chips: The Complete Chocolate Chip Cookbook. She lives in Los Angeles.