Snowy winter hasn't yet given way to even a whiff of a warm breeze, but soon it will be spring, and that has us looking forward to shedding coats and boots and getting into shorts and flipflops. That shedding process may even extend to those few pounds that have stubbornly remained through the long, cold winter.

So, now's the time to think light, and fruit desserts are the just-right answer to delight without deprivation. Even those who have given up "sweets" during Lent, may make an exception for fruit-based dishes.

We love the versatility of fruit: Certainly there's nothing better than biting into a ripe, juicy pear, or that first luscious taste of a ruby-red strawberry, but out-of-hand-eating is just the beginning of most fruit's repertoire. Whether baked, roasted, poached, sautéed, macerated, sliced or diced, fruits provide distinctive flavor, color, interest, and of course, sweetness to desserts.

Our recipes are a mix of hearty winter fruit staples (apples, pears, oranges, bananas), berries (blueberries, strawberries, raspberries) that thankfully, are now sweeter and mostly available year round, and some perhaps less familiar fruits like rhubarb, carambola (starfruit), and kiwi.

We're by no means saying that our recipes are guaranteed to shed pounds, but as always, we believe that a little bit of sweet leads to a lot of satisfaction. And being satisfied often leads to a better attitude toward weight loss.

We are convinced that you'll enjoy making our recipes—they're quick and simple—serving them, and garnering rave reviews. Enjoy!