Sweet & Simple: Frozen Fruit Desserts 

Fruit for dessert is an idea that sounds like a good one ... until you present your child with a slice of melon after dinner and she looks at you as if you've lost your mind.

Somehow, fruit only becomes a festive treat when it's frozen and presented in the right way. Here are two very simple recipes, for sorbet and fruit pops, that your kids will like. They're suitable to make for dinner guests, too.

If you use berries or fruit that's not very sweet, be sure to include at least one fruit with lots of natural sugars, such as bananas, watermelon or cherries. My family recently made strawberry-watermelon sorbet and pops. I've listed a few more flavor ideas in the sidebar. Each recipe makes four, 1-cup servings.

Instant Fruit Sorbet

• 1 cup fresh fruit, cut into small chunks
• 3 cups frozen fruit (either store bought or what you've frozen yourself)
• 1/4 - 1/2 cup water or juice, as needed

1. Put fresh fruit in the bottom of a blender; place frozen fruit on top.
2. Add - cup water or juice.  Blend until very smooth, adding just enough additional liquid to allow the blender to work.  
3. Serve immediately. Most all-fruit sorbet will freeze nearly solid if left in the freezer for long. Turn any leftovers into pops by pouring them into molds to eat later.

Pure Fruit Pops

• 4 cups any summer fruit; this is a great use for slightly overripe peaches, plums and berries
• 1/4 - 1/2 cup water or juice, as needed

1. Put fruit in blender.  
2. Blend until smooth. Add water or juice if desired, pour into molds or an ice cube tray.
3. Cover the pops with plastic wrap and insert toothpicks or wooden sticks.
4. Freeze until firm and serve.

Cheryl Herrick is a writer and blogger who lives in Burlington with her two young sons. Visit crankycakes.com for more of her adventures in food and mom life.