kinds, and if you love desserts, Fresh Fruit Desserts, Classic and Contemporary, is to die for!'' With more than 175 recipes and 16 pages of magnificent colour photographs to choose from, even the most abstemious diner won't be able to resist.

Imagine tucking into desserts like Persimmon Flan with Burnt Sugar Sauce, Ginger Peach Brown Betty, Blueberry Crisp with Rose Flower Water ... why, they're even more delicious than they sound! Here's a sampling from this unforgettable collection: PERSIAN FRUIT TUMBLE 21 to 3 lbs. ripe honeydew melon 11 lbs. ripe cantaloupe 1 pint small ripe strawberries, hulled 3 tablespoons apricot jam 1 tablespoon rose flower water 2 tablespoons kirsch 1 cup orange juice (juice of one orange) 1 tablespoon shredded orange peel made with a zester tool 3 tablespoons toasted, coarsely chopped pistachio nuts 2 tablespoons toasted slivered almonds USE a lovely crystal bowl large enough to contain the fruit. Cut melons in half, removing seeds and strings. Scoop out flesh with a melon baller. Leave strawberries whole. Place fruit in the serving bowl. Combine jam, rose flower water, kirsch, and orange juice together in a small cup, add to the fruit, and toss lightly. Sprinkle shredded orange peel and toasted nuts over all and chill until serving time. Serve cold.

PERSIMMON FLAN WITH BURNT SUGAR SAUCE 1 large ripe persimmon (about 1 lb.), stemmed 1 teaspoon lemon juice 11 cups sugar 11 cups milk 1 stick cinnamon Several long strips orange peel (from 1 orange) 4 eggs 1 teaspoon cornstarch dissolved in 1 tablespoon cold milk 1 teaspoon vanilla extract PUREE persimmon in a food processor or blender, add lemon juice and set aside.

In a medium-size non-stick saucepan, caramelise 1 cup of sugar over low heat, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon until sugar is melted and turns dark amber in colour. Pour quickly into a rectangular metal 6-cup mould (or charlotte mould). Tilt mould slowly in a swirling circular motion to coat its bottom and sides. Set aside.

In another medium-size non-stick saucepan, slowly bring milk, remaining sugar, cinnamon stick, and orange peel to a boil, stirring occasionally. Remove immediately and cool until lukewarm. While milk is cooling, pre-heat oven to 375 degrees F. and bring a kettle of water to a boil.

Beat eggs in a food processor or blender. Remove cinnamon stick and orange peel from milk and add dissolved cornstarch. Add vanilla and stir. Pour milk mixture slowly into the egg mixture with food processor on. Add persimmon puree and combine. Pour into the caramel-lined mould and place mould in a larger pan. Fill the pan with the boiling water to make a water bath. Water should come halfway up the sides of the mould.

Bake for 40 to 45 minutes then test the centre with a knife; it should slip out cleanly. Remove from water bath. Cool and mould, cover with plastic wrap, and chill in refrigerator for several hours before unmoulding.

When ready to serve, loosen flan by running a sharp knife all around the inside edges of the mould. Invert onto a large serving plate with a rim to hold the burnt sugar sauce. Decorate if you wish with an additional small persimmon centred on top of the flan. Yield: 6 servings.

GLAZED WARM APPLE CHARLOTTE WITH CALVADOS Charlotte, the wife of George II of England, has given her name to this gorgeous warm apple dessert, worthy of the most festive dinner party. The apple filling can be prepared the day before. Early in the day, you can assemble the Charlotte and then bake it right before dinner. While the guests dine, it will come to the perfect temperate for serving at the end of the meal.

31 lbs. Granny Smith apples (about 8 large), peeled, cored, and sliced thinly 2 teaspoons finely minced lemon peel 1 to 1 cup sugar, or to taste 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 2 tablespoon butter 1 teaspoon cinnamon 1 teaspoon nutmeg 4 tablespoons Calvados, or applejack or rum 1 cup apricot preserves, forced through a sieve 1 lb. clarified butter (see note below) 12 to 14 slices of orange-raisin bread or cinnamon-raisin bread PLACE apples in a 12-inch-wide Dutch oven or deep skillet (preferably non-stick). Add lemon peel, cover, and cook over very low heat, stirring occasionally, for 20 to 25 minutes, or until apples are tender. Add sugar, vanilla, butter, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Stir Calvados into apricot puree and add only 1 cup to the apples, reserving remainder for a final glaze. Cook apple mixture, uncovered, over high heat for 10 minutes, stirring constantly for last 5 minutes or more, until all the liquid has evaporated and a very thick puree remains (about 3 1 cups). Set aside.

This recipe can be prepared up to this point well in advance.

Pour clarified butter into a metal pie pan. If it has begun to solidify, heat for a few seconds gently over low heat until it liquifies. Use a 5-cup charlotte mould or any other cylindrical mould that is 31 inches high and 4 1 inches in diameter. Trim crusts off bread. Cut 1 square and 4 semi-circles of bread to fit bottom of mould exactly. Dip bread pieces quickly into clarified butter and saute in a pan until lightly golden. Fit into bottom of the mould.

Cut remaining bread into 11 -inch strips. Dip each one into clarified butter and arrange, overlapping slightly around inside of the mould. Trim any protruding ends.

Heap apple puree inside the bread, making a dome shape, about 3 inches higher in the centre (since it will collapse when it cools). Cover with the strips of bread dipped in butter and pour any remaining butter around the edges of the mould.

Pre-heat the oven to 425 degrees F. Set mould on a foil-lined jelly-roll pan to catch any drippings, and bake for 30 minutes. (If the top browns too quickly, cover with foil while continuing to bake.) Let cool 40 minutes on a wire rack before inverting onto a serving plate.

While the charlotte is cooling, add 1 tablespoon sugar to remaining pureed apricot preserve mixture and boil over high heat until thick. Spread glaze over warm charlotte. Serve by cutting with a serrated knife. Note: Clarified butter is used to prevent the bread from browning too quickly. To clarify butter, melt slowly in a small, heavy pot. Skim the surface and let stand until a milky residue settles on the bottom. Pour off the clear melted butter to use in the recipe, leaving the residue on the bottom to be discarded.

Yield: six servings.

MIXED BERRY SUMMER PUDDING WITH CHAMBORD Unlike many Summer Pudding recipes, which feature oversweetened fruit and soggy commercial bread, this version is enhanced with raspberry liqueur, sparked with citrus for flavour, and red berries mixed with a puree of other darker berries. The bread is nothing more than a thin wall between the berries and the cream, all of it enriched by a delicious fruit puree. You'll find it a welcome change. For best results, prepare 24 hours or more before serving.

3 cups small ripe strawberries, hulled 2 cups ripe raspberries 8 tablespoons fine sugar 3 tablespoons Chambord (raspberry liqueur) 2 teaspoons finely minced orange peel Pinch of salt 1 cup red currants 1 cup blueberries 1 cup blackberries 1 loaf dense white bread, unsliced 1 cup heavy cream SET aside a few of each kind of berry and chill them covered with plastic wrap, until serving time.

In a medium-size bowl, mix strawberries and raspberries together. Add 4 tablespoons of the sugar, Chambord liqueur, orange peel, and pinch of salt.

Mix well and let stand for 1 hour to accumulate liquid, stirring occasionally.

Combine currants, blueberries, and blackberries with remaining sugar in a large saucepan and bring slowly to a boil. Lower heat and simmer 5 minutes.

Strain cooked berries into a bowl. Force berries against a strainer, scraping outside bottom with a clean spatula and adding this to the bowl. Discard seeds and skins from strainer, wash and dry it. Strain liquid accumulated from raspberry-strawberry mixture into the cooked puree, reserving the whole berries.

Spray a 2-quart mixing bowl or a souffle dish at least 3 inches deep with vegetable oil spray. Trim crusts off bread and cut into thick slices. Flatten slices with a rolling pin. Fit bread into the bowl, overlapping slices by 1 inch and pressing lightly together so there are no gaps. Reserve a few slices of bread for the top.

Fill bread casing with the whole berries and pour only 1 cup of the cooked puree over them. Top with remaining bread slices, trimmed to fit the bowl.

Brush bread with some of the puree. Cover with plastic wrap and place a plate that will fit inside the bowl on top of the pudding, weighing down the plate with a can that weighs about 3 lbs. (A large can of Italian plum tomatoes is a good size and a perfect weight.) Place in the refrigerator for 24 hours.

When ready to serve, loosen pudding by running a knife around the inside of the mould and invert onto a serving plate with a rim. Whip the cream with a rotary hand beater until almost stiff. Combine half the whipped cream with remaining puree. Continue to whip remaining cream until it is stiff. Pour puree and cream sauce slowly over the pudding. Spoon a few dollops of whipped cream around accumulated sauce at pudding base. Sprinkle reserved berries over all. Yield: 6-8 servings.

PEAR BROWN BETTY WITH POIRE WILLIAM AND PECANS 3 cups small bread cubes, made from orange or cinnamon-raisin bread 6 tablespoons butter, melted 6 Bosc pears, peeled, quartered, and cut into 1 -inch-thick slices 3 cup light brown sugar 1 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg 1 teaspoon cinnamon (see note) 1 teaspoon finely minced lemon peel 1 tablespoon lemon juice 1 cup Poire William (liqueur) 1 cup toasted pecans, broken coarsely PRE-HEAT oven to 375 degrees F. Butter 8-cup souffle dish. Toast bread cubes on cookie sheet in oven 8-10 minutes. Transfer to a bowl and toss with melted butter. Set aside.

In another large bowl, mix sliced pears thoroughly with remaining ingredients.

Spread 1 of the bread cubes on bottom of the prepared dish, top with a layer of pears, and repeat with another layer of each. Top with remaining bread cubes. Cover with foil and pierce it with a knifepoint in several places to allow steam to escape. Bake 45 minutes, then remove foil. Return to oven and continue baking 10-15 minutes more, or until top is golden. Serve warm with a pitcher of cream.

Note: If cinnamon raisin bread is not used, add an additional 1 teaspoon of cinnamon and 1 cup of raisins when combining sliced pears with spices. Yield: 6-8 servings.

BAKED LEMON SPONGES WITH LEMON SAUCE Part pudding, part cake, this dessert forms its own lemony custard sauce hidden at the bottom of each tiny souffle dish when baked. Topped with a lavender crystallised violet or a fresh violet and a few shreds of lemon peel, it takes on an aura of elegance.

3 tablespoons butter, softened 1 cup sugar 1 cup milk Salt 2 eggs, separated 3 tablespoons sifted flour 1 cup lemon juice 2 teaspoons finely minced lemon peel (about 2 lemons) PRE-HEAT oven to 350 degrees F. Boil a kettle of water and butter six 1 -cup ovenproof souffle or custard cups. Cream butter until fluffy in a food processor. Add sugar slowly while processor is running and process for a few minutes (sugar will still be grainy, but will dissolve later). Add milk and a pinch of salt, continue processing until smooth. Add egg yolks separately while machine is running and continue to process for a few pulses. Add flour and process again for a few strokes. Add lemon juice and peel.

In a deep bowl, beat egg whites until stiff with another pinch of salt, using a hand beater. Fold mixture from food processor into beaten egg whites and spoon into prepared souffle cups. Fill to the top and place the cups in a larger pan. Pour enough boiling water into the bottom of the pan so that it reaches one inch up sides of souffle cups. Bake 25 to 30 minutes until tops are puffed and golden. Remove to a wire rack and cool.

Garnish Confectioner's sugar Shreds of lemon peel, if desired A crystalized or fresh violet, if desired A sprig of mint, if desired SERVE sponges in baking cups while warm. Sprinkle with confectioners' sugar and, if desired, a few shreds of lemon peel, a crystallised violet, fresh violet, or a sprig of mint to give this dessert a festive air. Serves 6.

RED FRUIT PUDDING 1 lb. ripe, hulled strawberries (OR 20-oz. pkge. frozen, unsweetened strawberries, defrosted and reserving 4 oz. for garnish) 3 lb. ripe raspberries (or 12-oz. pkge. frozen raspberries, defrosted, reserving 4 oz. for garnish) 4 tablespoons sugar 2 tablespoons arrowroot or potato starch (see note) 1 cup cold water 2 teaspoons lemon juice 1 teaspoon vanilla extract Sliced almonds for garnish 1 cup light cream PUREE berries in a food processor and force through a fine sieve into a non-reactive medium-size saucepan. Stir in sugar and bring to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring constantly. Mix arrowroot and water until dissolved, lower the heat to medium and stir it into puree. Cook, stirring constantly until thickened, about 1 to 2 minutes. Do not allow it to boil again. Remove from heat and stir in lemon juice and vanilla. Let cool for 10 minutes and spoon into crystal goblets or a glass dessert dish. Cover with plastic wrap and chill for at least 2 hours or longer. Serve topped with a whole berry and sliced almonds on each serving and a pitcher of cream. Serves 6.

Note: Both arrowroot and potato starch are translucent thickening agents. They attain their maximum thickening power before boiling temperature is reached.

High sustained heat and stirring will cause thinning. Potato starch is translucent but it also gives a sparkling quality to the finished dessert.

With both, the viscosity increases as they cool.

SALZBURGER NOCKERL WITH RED PLUM PUREE Red Plum Puree 1 cup sugar 1-2 tablespoons fine sugar 1 cup water 6 soft, flavourful plums (about 1 lb.), pitted and quartered 1 teaspoon kirsch 1 teaspoon vanilla extract IN a medium-size saucepan, bring 1 cup of the sugar and water to a boil. Boil for 1 minute, add plums, lower heat. Simmer, covered, 15-20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Plums should be very soft. Cool for 10 minutes and puree, without removing skins, in a food processor for a few pulses. Mixture should not be too smooth. Add kirsch and vanilla, then remaining sugar to taste.

Salzburger Nockerl 2 tablespoons butter 2 tablespoons milk 3 eggs, separated 2 additional egg whites 1 cup sugar 1 teaspoon finely minced lemon peel 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 1 teaspoon salt 1 teaspoon flour Confectioners' sugar PRE-HEAT oven to 450 degrees F. and butter sides of a shallow, ovenproof 10-inch oval baking dish with 1 tablespoon of the butter. Place other tablespoon of butter and milk in baking dish. Melt butter in oven. Remove, stir, and set aside.

In a medium-size bowl, add egg yolks. Place 5 egg whites in separate, larger bowl and set aside. Using an electric hand beater, beat egg yolks until foamy, add sugar and beat until thick and pale yellow. Add lemon peel and vanilla, and beat again. Set mixture aside, wash and dry beaters.

In another bowl, beat egg whites until frothy, add salt. Sift flour into whites, beating until stiff and glossy. Fold egg whites into yolk mixture with a large rubber spatula.

Scoop up four large, tall mounds of the mixture with the spatula and arrange in prepared pan. Bake in oven 7 minutes or until lightly brown. Sift confectioners' sugar over surface and serve immediately along with plum puree.

Serves 4.

RASPBERRY ALMOND CLAFOUTI Ruby-colored raspberries are drenched in port. A scattering of slivered almonds sit on the bottom of a ground almond-based batter in this simple and very flavourful dessert.

2 cups raspberries (1 pint) 2 tablespoons slivered almonds 2 tablespoons ruby port 1 cup whole blanched almonds 2 tablespoons flour 1 cup milk 2 eggs 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar Pinch of salt 2 tablespoons cold butter, cut into bits Confectioners' sugar PRE-HEAT oven to 400 degrees F. and butter an 11-by-1 1 -inch deep (5 cup) oval ovenproof gratin pan. Arrange raspberries in bottom of the pan and sprinkle with slivered almonds and port wine. In a blender or food processor, grind whole almonds with flour until fine. Add milk, eggs, sugar, and salt and mix well. Pour this mixture slowly over the fruit and nuts in the prepared pan. Dot with butter and sprinkle surface with remaining 2 tablespoons of sugar. Bake in the middle of the oven for about 30 minutes, or until the clafouti is set, puffed, and the top is golden. If the top is not golden, broil for 1 to 2 minutes.

Let cool in the pan on a rack for 15 minutes. Clafouti will shrink somewhat.

Sprinkle surface with confectioners' sugar and serve warm. Serves 4 to 6.

FROZEN KIWI AND GREEN TEA MOUSSE 4 large kiwis, plus 1 small kiwi for garnish 2 cup sugar 1 tablespoon Japanese powdered green tea (Matsa-cha) 1 cup lime juice (1 large lime) 1 cup heavy cream Sprigs of mint, for garnish CUT off both ends of each kiwi, peel and cut into pieces. (There should be 2 cups.) Process in a food processor with sugar, green tea and lime juice until smooth. Transfer to a medium-size bowl. Whip cream with a rotary hand beater until it holds stiff peaks and fold thoroughly into puree mixture.

Spray inside of eight 1 -cup molds with a vegetable oil spray and distribute mousse evenly among them. Cover each one with a small piece of aluminium foil and freeze for several hours.

When ready to serve, run a knife around inside of each mould and dip bottoms in warm water for a few seconds to loosen. Invert onto individual serving plates. Peel and slice reserved kiwi into 8 thin slices. Top each mold with a slice of kiwi, a rosette of whipped cream, and a sprig of mint if desired.

Serves 8.

JUICY OFFERING -- Sheryl and Mel London's collection of classic and contemporary fresh fruit desserts.