We are going to a crab feast, and I’m responsible for dessert for 9.
My go to desserts are cheesecake and key lime pie, so I’m looking for something else.
It’s a health conscious crowd, but we do splurge.
Ideas?
A fruit crisp or cobbler
strawberry shortcake
some kind of bar cookie like brownies or lemon squares or both 
a summer berry trifle
Ah, lemon squares. I like that idea.
I found a recipe for mocha chocolate blondes, but that seems a little too heavy.
Not sure what berries are currently in season where you live but blueberry buckle is another idea and slab pie is hot in the culinary world currently and you could make one using whatever berries are fresh.
Yes, I like desserts. 
This is a blast from the past, but the first thing that came to mind for me was Strawberry Angel Food Cake - uses frozen strawberries (you could mix in fresh), angel food cake, gelatin, dream whip or cool whip - super easy and light.
http://www.kuchentogether.com/?p=448
But I also love the lemon bar idea!
This is one of the most delicious, tart, lemony, desserts ever. Originally, the recipe was in her first book, Entertaining:
http://www.marthastewart.com/1045864/iced-lemon-mousse
It is my go-to recipe for a dessert for a lot of people, especially after a rich or spicy meal. This version of the recipe is actually half the size of the original one, and should serve 9, but you could easily double it for a lot of people. It is fine made the day before; in fact, I usually make it then. I serve it (the original, larger version) in a cut glass punch bowl.
I can’t praise it too much. You can add a bit more lemon zest if you wish, but it doesn’t really need it. And, BTW, if you happen to have some of Rose Levy Beranbaum’s Lightly Sweetened Raspberry Puree on hand–I always have some in the freezer 
--swirl some through. Fabulous.
One last note: the ice bath step is not required unless you are a hurry. You can just make the lemon syrup and stick it in the fridge until ready to use it.
I frequently make chocolate covered strawberries. This is light…can eat as few or as many as you wish. Being a health conscious crowd, it may be a pleaser.
Pioneer Woman just made the most delicious-looking lemon bars on her show. I’m sure you could google her recipe. In my experience, her recipes are always a big hit!
In the summer, nothing makes me happier than a dessert that features copious amounts of stone fruit. I’d make a peach/ nectarine / plum pie or cobbler in a deep baking dish – something like this but with a lattice crust instead of the crumble or maybe with only 1/3 of the crumble:
http://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1016691-peach-crumble-slab-pie
Served with vanilla ice cream — yum!
One of my favorite desserts for this time of year is Gale Gand’s Pavlova. It’s light, delicious and you can use whichever berries look best at the store. It makes a beautiful dessert that always gets rave reviews.
I serve them fresh cut pineapple from Costco, cheap and good to clean/floss their teeth after crap festival. Oops crab festival!
Great suggestions. I think I’m going to do lemon bars of some kind, plus maybe fresh fruit. Thanks all
If you’re doing lemon bars, Joy the Baker’s lemon bar recipe is easy and really really good
Cook’s Illustrated’s lemon bar recipe is very good.
Fruit salad - great this time of year with cantaloupe, stone fruit, grapes, cherries, mangoes, berries of all types.
depending on the fruits used, add a small amount of sugar to bring out the juices.
To gussy it up a bit, top with toasted pecans (can keep them in a separate bowl to sprinkle on top so they don’t get soggy). Refreshing and delicious! people consume mass quantities of this, in my experience.
Instead of whip cream do berries with creme anglaise - it’s not that hard basically a vanilla custard. I’ve served it in those premade cake cups when I wanted to make an easy dessert, but more than just fruit salad. You could macerate the strawberries http://www.saveur.com/article/techniques/macerating-strawberries. Everyone seems to think strawberries just need sugar, but if you do other berries try some Grand Marnier or Triple Sec.
Is anyone else a fan of strawberries dipped in sour cream and then brown sugar? It’s something we’ve done in my family forever. Guests are sometimes surprised by the combo but once they try it they are quickly converted. So simple but so yummy.
I like strawberries with mascarpone cheese.
http://www.jamieoliver.com/recipes/fruit-recipes/summer-berries-with-vanilla-mascarpone/
It reminds me of the dessert I had nearly every day in France which was fromage blanc with brown sugar and sometimes fresh fruit. (It was sort of like yogurt, cream cheese or sour cream or quark.)
Strawberries are ripe and lovely in my area. I made a fresh strawberry pie in a pre bought shortbread crust. Worth teh calories! There are recipes out there, but most contain ingredients I’d rather not eat, like jello.
I blend a cup or so of berries with OJ, heat in a pan with a tablespoon or so of cornstarch, add sugar. a little water, heat till boiling and clear. Turn off the heat. Add a tablespoon of butter, some orange liqueur, Arrange sliced berries in the pie shell, cover with the cornstarch mixture and chill. Cover with whipping cream. Or the mascarpone mixture above.
My favorite strawberry tart is made with a sugar cookie crust filled with a layer of frangipane pastry cream topped with whole berries and glazed. Mastering the Art of French Cooking.
@greatlakesmom …You can buy a shortbread crust? Where?