Lemon Blueberry Baked Doughnuts with Vanilla Bean Glaze

If I had to decide between a muffin, a doughnut or a bagel for breakfast, hands down, it would be a doughnut. Krispy Kreme, Dunkin', Maple Glazed, I don't care who makes them, I love them. I finally got my doughnut pan on Friday and couldn't wait to jump into the world of baked doughnuts. I packed up the pan, some fresh picked blueberries and a bag of lemons and headed to New Jersey with a mission: Spend time with great friends, hit some sand and sun at the beach and bake some doughnuts.

My favorite doughnut has always been a blueberry cake doughnut with glaze. I love how they're slightly crisp on the outside from their bath in the fryer and a fresh coat of glaze. Yet they are moist, cakey and overloaded with sweet blueberries inside.

I knew that a baked doughnut would not have the same texture of a traditionally fried doughnut. Realistically, I was expecting them to be a doughnut shaped muffin. I found this to be somewhat true, though the doughnuts were a little more dense than a muffin.

Double Berry Lemonade

When life hands you lemons, you make lemonade, right? Well, life has handed me a few lemons in the past couple of weeks. So, I did just that. In the literal sense, I needed a few lemons to zest and juice for various recipes. Being the saving Sally that I am these days (those who know me, know this to be true about all things not involving clothing, shoes, cosmetics or kitchen gadgets), I bought a 2 lb. bag of lemons because it seemed like the economical choice. When it was all said and done and all my recipes were made, I still had a giant bag of lemons. And from that, double berry lemonade was born.

Fresh blueberries and strawberries are pureed with sugar and combined with fresh squeezed lemon juice for a refreshingly tart chiller. It's the perfect beverage for a balmy summer evening with friends. Garnish with a fresh strawberry, lemon slices or a sprig of mint. And, if life truly has handed you lemons in both the literal and non-literal sense, add a shot of your favorite alcohol.

Red, White and Blue Puff Pastry Tarts

The 4th of July is known for two things: Freedom and berries, particularly of the red and blue variety. Not wanting to stray far from tradition, I created a festive puff pastry dessert with strawberries, blueberries and one not so traditional ingredient. Well, not a traditional American ingredient at least. The creamy sweet filling is made of Italian mascarpone cheese.

Now, I'm not Italian. Not even a little. But, every now and then I sit down and spend a half hour in front of my TV with Giada DeLaurentis. I pretend I can say "spaghetti" with her perfect Italian accent. I try to add up all the calories in her carb-laden dishes and wonder how she stays so thin. But mostly, I just want to add mascarpone cheese to everything I eat. Baked tortellini, tiramisu, banana muffins, cupcakes... you name it, I'll add mascarpone if Giada says its the right thing to do.

This recipe is so simple, yet festive. Tender puff pastry, sweet mascarpone filling, vanilla beans, zesty lemon and perfectly fresh berries. I think Giada would be proud. So add some Italian to your American celebration today.