Summer Days Berry Dessert

SUMMER DAYS is coming out in less than two weeks. The last couple of weeks before a new book comes out, time slows way down. I am so excited to introduce readers to the Stryker brothers. You know that feeling you get when you set up your best friend on a blind date with a great guy, and you wait breathlessly for her to call, so you can find out how it went? That’s how I feel now, waiting to find out whether readers will love the Stryker brothers as much as I do.

Rafe is up first. Rafe is a high-powered entrepreneur, but he didn’t start life that way. In fact, the Stryker kids were the poorest kids in Fool’s Gold. I adore a self-made millionaire. A man who refused to give in to the odds stacked against him. Rafe is smart, savvy, and sexy, and I want readers to meet him NOW!

But I’ll have to wait until May 29, when SUMMER DAYS lands in stores. I decided to distract myself with something sweet. In these situations, I almost always turn to chocolate. But SUMMER DAYS called for a summery dessert. Fresh berries, prepared simply. Ice cream. And just a tiny bit of crunch in the topping. Delicious! I sent the recipe to my assistant for testing, as I often do. She made it on her barbecue grill, which means you won’t have to turn on your oven during the hot summer days. A perfect dessert for a Memorial Day picnic!

Recipe: Summer Days Berry Dessert

6 C fresh strawberries, raspberries, and blueberries
1 T brown sugar
2 T Cointreau or other orange-flavored liqueur
3 slices of bread or 2 dinner rolls
2 T butter, softened
1 T brown sugar
1/8 t teaspoon cinnamon

Wash and drain the berries. Cut the strawberries into pieces. Toss the berries in a bowl with 1 T brown sugar and liqueur. Put into a deep pie pan if you plan to bake it in the oven, or into an aluminum pie pan if you plan to cook it on the grill. In that case, build up the sides of the aluminum pan with aluminum foil so the bread layer won’t fall out.

Tear the bread into pieces. Pulse in a food processor with the remaining ingredients. Sprinkle breading layer over the fruit. Bake uncovered at 400 degrees for 20 minutes, or the same amount of time over indirect heat on a warm but not hot grill.