Summer fruit sauce perfect for pain perdu or pound cake

You know summer is here when long-awaited fruits emerge. Lately, I’ve been picking up pints of blueberries from our local farmers market, and my own backyard blueberries and blackberries (so easy to grow here!) are ripening like crazy. My kids and I try to head outside early so we can harvest them before the birds beat us to it. It’s a mad rush. Fresh blueberries make their way into lots of different recipes in my kitchen, but one of my favorites is a fast and easy fruit sauce that’s a perfect topper for dessert or a sweet breakfast.

I really like this sauce with both blueberries and fresh sliced peaches, which are grown in north Louisiana around the city of Ruston, and throughout the south. I grew up in Georgia, on a steady diet of fresh peaches in the summertime. The two fruits combine beautifully in cobblers, pies, fruit salads and other dishes because they offer complementary textures and flavors while both screaming summer.

Here’s my formula for a simple peach-blueberry sauce that’s a sweet and juicy topper for homemade waffles, pancakes, pain perdu (French toast), or on shortcakes, teacakes, ice cream or slices of pound cake. Enjoy!
Peach-Blueberry Sauce

¼ cup brown sugar (dark or light)
1 tablespoon cornstarch
¼ cup honey
¼ cup water
1 cup fresh peeled and sliced peaches (about three)
1 cup fresh blueberries
¼ cup orange juice
Combine brown sugar and cornstarch in a saucepan over medium heat. Slow whisk in honey and water. Cook gently until thick and bubbly, about 1-2 minutes. Stir in fresh fruit and orange juice. Remove from heat and let cool slightly. Top waffles, pancakes or cakes, followed by a small dollop of sour cream, Creole cream cheese, Greek yogurt or whipped cream (optional) and a sprig of fresh mint.