Picnic Dessert on a Stick: Fruit Sparklers

About author / Christine Gable

Culinary enthusiast; kids cuisine and slow cooking; magazine recipe developer; professional writer. Her simple recipes are great for family dinners.

We had dinner with friends recently, and afterward, our sons surprised us with beautiful fruit shish kebabs. Strawberry-studded jewels were interspersed with green squares of honeydew, with small brownie squares tucked in-between. Those shiny, ruby-red berries were striking alternated with the light green melon—such beauty from the simplicity of fresh fruit.

Once again, I was in awe of the refreshing creativity with which children view the world. Where I had merely served bowls of fresh fruit with some baked treats, they had assembled a food photographer’s dream—both healthy and elegant.

So often we hear encouraging recommendations to eat more fruit for dessert—yet how many of us really crave fruit as a dessert? After a lifetime of growing up on creamy puddings, chocolate cakes and homemade cookies, a piece of fruit just doesn’t cut it. Yet one of these enticing fruit-studded shish kebabs is quite a refreshing change. Intermingled with several bites of a satisfying baked goodie, it’s the perfect blend of taste plus nutrition, sans plate and bowl.

If this weekend finds you and your family having a traditional Independence Day picnic, here’s a fun way to put a nutritious, kid-friendly dessert on the buffet that is sure to please. Or perhaps go patriotic by incorporating some red (strawberries), white (honeydew) and blue (blueberries) fruit suggestions that can be arranged in patterns.

Both blueberries and strawberries are on the Tufts University’s Health & Nutrition Letter’s "List of 51 Healthy Foods you can say Yes To!"
And according to the August 2005 newsletter, “Tufts researchers are studying blueberries for their antioxidant benefits, including the possibility that they may boost brain functions that weaken as we age. Other scientists have found in animal testing that blueberries may lower cholesterol levels.”

Plus, strawberries offer more than just great taste, for they contain powerful antioxidants that improve circulation and are a good source of folate and vitamin C.

Here’s some other fun fruit that works great on a stick:
* Cantaloupe chunks or balls
* Grapes
* Mandarin orange segments
* Pineapple chunks
* Banana slices

As for those baked delights to slip in there?
* Brownies or bar cookies work great
* Small squares of pound cake
* Soft yet firm cookies, such as sugar cookies, cut into quarters

Here’s a colorful and fun treat that goes well amidst the sparklers and fireworks. Or try preparing bowls of prepared fruit and allowing everyone to slide their own favorites onto the stick—you’ll find the health benefits of fresh fruit will help make your holiday even better.

Serves/Makes: 15

• 1 quart blueberries, washed
• 1 quart strawberries, washed and sliced if large
• 1 honeydew melon, cut into 1-inch cubes or balls
• brownies, cut into 1-inch cubes
• 15 skewers