Welcome! My name is Jessie-Sierra, and I’m a former ballerina turned cookbook author and food TV host. Pull up a chair - here’s a little coffee and cake. I’ll dish out original recipes for you to make, life stories that touch the heart, and easy gathering ideas that will help you shine among your friends. My kitchen is open to all! I share my low-fuss lifestyle on Substack about once a week, always adding a touch of hands-on beauty to the everyday.
I believe in helping you connect through hospitality - creating food and hosting experiences that leave lasting memories with those we love!
If you’re looking for Memorial Day dessert ideas that actually travel well, hold up to the intense summer heat, and don’t require a whole day tending a hot oven, this is the Substack post to save! I’ve collected five of my favorite make-ahead recipes from both my newsletter and my blog, that highlight seasonal flavors and nostalgic memories for me. From lemon glazed blueberry cake-cookies born from my stay on the coast of Maine, to my version of classic red, white and blue shortcakes piled high with fresh berries and cream. All of them are crowd-friendly, and all of the recipes have a little story behind them. The best part? None of the recipes require a ton of baking experience or complicated kitchen tools.
Memorial Day is at its heart a day of remembrance, but also the unofficial kick off of summer in the Northeast. Scroll on for the recipes, plus my tips for setting the perfect summer dessert table.
If there is one berry dessert that practically defines the summer season, it’s this one. These lemon-scented cakes are a riff on my mother’s classic New England style shortcake. They’re light and tender, and smothered with sugar macerated strawberries and plump blueberries. Finished with fluffy clouds of homemade vanilla whipped cream – they’re red, white, and blue without trying even a little bit hard.
Tip; If berry season is a bit later in your region, you can used thawed frozen berries as well.
The shortcakes come together in about 25 minutes from start to finish, bake up buttery and golden, and are substantial enough to hold up under all that glorious fruit and cream. This recipe actually started as a childhood memory; my Dad would bring home berries from the old Haymarket section of Boston, and my Mum would quickly whip up some shortcake for us kids to enjoy. Served with plenty of whipped cream, it was my idea of a perfect summer treat. This version carries all of that nostalgia forward, with a little lemon zest stirred into the dough for a bright, modern twist.
Why It Works for a Cookout
The shortcakes bake the morning of and store best at room temperature, while the berries are prepped and sugared ahead of time to allow them to macerate (and release their juices!). The vanilla whipped cream can come together in about five minutes, but store bought is perfect too. Set it all out on your dessert table and let guests build their own! This old-school dessert is interactive, zero-fuss, and the patriotic color palette takes care of itself.
These cookies were inspired by a family trip to the coast of Maine, and a hotel breakfast that I couldn’t stop thinking about. After taking the first bite of a deliciously buttery blueberry coffee cake with my morning cup of coffee, I knew I had to make something back at home, that would remind me of the salty sea air and sweet plump blueberries. These cookies are soft and cakey, with a unique texture somewhere beautifully between a cookie and a little blueberry cake. Brightened with fresh lemon zest and finished with a tart lemon glaze, they taste like a perfect New England summer afternoon.
If you ever picked blueberries as a kid, sneaking the ripest ones for yourself, these cookies will strike a familiar chord.
Why They Work for a Cookout
Individually portioned and no slicing required, the sweet lemon glaze sets up pretty firmly, so they can stack between layers of wax (or parchment paper) for easy travel. Make them the day before and you’re all set for your next cookout. These cookies hold up well in the heat and they are easy to enjoy without a plate.
Pairs Well With: Iced coffee, sparkling water with lemon, grilled fish, and a crisp green salad.
Sometimes a simple preparation, is the best preparation. I like to treat particular seasonally produce, like peaches, very gently and let the peach sing with minimal accompaniment. This one-pan peach buckle is the recipe that proves you don’t need a complicated dessert to make something that stops people mid-conversation. Fresh peach slices sink into a tender, buttery batter, spiked with vanilla and sour cream. As the buckle bakes, the peach slices create jammy little pockets of fruit throughout the cake. Finished with a dusting of powdered sugar and served warm from the oven alongside a scoop of vanilla ice cream…. I’m insisting on this… it tastes like long summer evenings and late afternoon farm stand visits.
Why It Works for a Cookout
This cake is perfect for any level baker and is ready in about an hour. Baked in a single springform pan, it’s a breeze to transport and packs a big punch of wow factor with minimal effort. You can easily serve a slice of peach buckle at room temperature with whipped cream or ice cream on the side. Crowd-friendly, unfussy, and just the kind of treat that makes the other guests ask you for the recipe!
I know… a pie on a summer cookout list might raise an eyebrow. But, just hear me out.
This is the pie that took me years to get right; a food processor butter crust (genuinely game-changing) filled with cinnamon-scented apples, pears, and ripe blackberries, all topped with a golden oatmeal crisp that gives you the best of both worlds between a classic pie and a traditional fruit crisp. It also carries a lot of heart. Getting the crust right took many pie making sessions of trial, but when it finally came together, it tasted even better for it.
Tip; You can pre-prepare the butter pie crust dough and freeze. To use - let the dough thaw until soft, but still chilled.
Why It Works for a Cookout
The precooked filling can be made up to three days ahead, and the whole pie bakes during the cool morning and serves deliciously at room temperature later on. This is a lovely dessert for 8-12 people, stores well right in the pie plate, and the crisp topping means there isn’t any delicate lattice to worry about shattering. Set it on the table with a bowl of whipped cream and let people help themselves.
Pairs Well With: Hard cider or strong iced tea. It’s a natural alongside grilled chicken and a big green salad…. and honestly, in New England, Memorial Day weekend sometimes does feel more like apple season than beach season. You know how it goes.
Every good cookout dessert table has a cookie, and this one definitely earns its spot. These are big, chewy, loaded oatmeal cookies packed with old-fashioned oats, raisins, dried cranberries, and both white and dark chocolate chips. Each bite contains something new! This is the kind of cookie you pick up and quickly realize that it’s genuinely substantial, in the best possible way. Cinnamony, buttery, and chewy in all the right places… please pass the milk.
They’re a longstanding family favorite around here!
Why They Work for a Cookout
With up to 16 large cookies per batch, they can be stored simply in an airtight container for up to a week, and they’re completely grab-and-go. No plates, no utensils, and no fuss. Little kids and big kids love them! They also make outstanding ice cream sandwiches! Just scoop some vanilla ice cream between two cookies, press gently, and you have an instant crowd-pleaser that nobody saw coming.
Pairs Well With: Cold milk or vanilla ice cream tucked between two of them. A nice, satisfying counterpoint to the lighter fruit desserts on the table.
In my opinion, whipped cream is the unsung hero of summer desserts and also its most dramatic diva. A great tip for keeping the whipped cream nice and cold, is to nestle the serving bowl inside a larger bowl filled with ice. Replenish the ice as needed. For make-ahead stability, whip the heavy cream + sugar with 2 tablespoons of powdered sugar (and a splash of vanilla extract). The cornstarch in the powdered sugar (also called Confectioners’ Sugar) acts as a stabilizer, so the whipped cream holds up for far longer.
Shade is your best friend! Set the dessert table under a shady tree, large umbrella, or overhang whenever possible. Use a white or linen tablecloth as your base (it photographs beautifully and makes colors pop). Vary the height of your display with a cake stand, a wooden board, and a simple tray to create visual interest. Small dessert-descriptive cards near each dish, are a really thoughtful touch that guests genuinely appreciate, especially when there are dietary needs at the table.
A few simple flowers go a long way. For Memorial Day, look for bright orange-red or deep crimson ranunculus or strawflowers, white cosmos or white snapdragons, and blue hydrangea or delphinium for your bouquets. These varieties are all beautiful and easy to find at most grocery stores or farmers markets right now. Tuck a small flower-filled mason jar or two between your desserts, or scatter a few loose petals around the base of your platters. Even a single large bouquet makes the whole spread feel intentional. Be sure to keep the vases refreshed with cold water and watch your guests delight in your beautifully set dessert table!
Photo Credit; Jonathan Ross, for Jessie-Sierra Ross
Food Styling; Jessie-Sierra Ross
Tried one of these recipes? Drop a comment below or find me on Instagram @straighttothehipsbaby. I love seeing what you make.
From TikTok to the Table - Off Menu with Gus Constantellis
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May 8
Welcome! My name is Jessie-Sierra, and I’m a former ballerina turned cookbook author and food TV host. Pull up a chair - here’s a little coffee and cake. I’ll dish out original recipes for you to make, life stories that touch the heart, and easy gathering ideas that will help you shine among your friends. My kitchen is open to all! I share my low-fuss l…
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