Kick your sugar high up a notch with a sophisticated spin on the traditional candy apple; except set aside the apples for another dessert and indulge on the last of the season’s  fresh strawberries… add a dash of balsamic. Yes, that’s right: balsamic vinegar.

These date squares are sweet, chewy, crumbly, messy, and a little bit tangy thanks to the yummy, lemon-spiked medjool date purée sandwiched between a buttery crumble crust. Lemon juice takes the edge off the potentially sickening sweetness of the dates, and butter is… well, butter — enough said.  But honestly, you could eat a medjool date sandwiched between two pieces of cardboard and it would still kick an ordinary date square’s butt.

The perfect plum is a rare find. Typically, the ones piled up in plastic baskets at the  grocery store are pretty to look at, but are seldom prime for the eating, with an overly tart flavor and a tough, sapless texture. Local, fresh, perfectly ripe plums deserve a special nod to their deliciousness.

In the brief window of time between dropping my eldest daughter off at preschool, getting the twins down for their morning naps, preparing lunch and then picking the preschooler up again from her half-day of away-play, the heap of bright red and green shiny apples was staring me down, challenging me to quickly convert their toothsomely tart selves into a warm, fragrant, scrumptious snack. I met their dare, of course, with muffins. Okay, so I’m anthropomorphizing hanging fruit — maybe I need to get out more — but what ev’.

Looking for a dessert that’s refreshing, delicious and will knock the socks off of your dinner guests? This special confection ticks all the boxes, thanks to a dazzlingly impressive appearance, sweet pastry crust (pâte sucrée) evocative of a sugar cookie, a hidden chocolate lining, a velvety rich pastry cream filling (crème pâtissière), and — last but certainly not least — a beautifully arranged crown of fresh fruits and berries.