The powdered sugar sprinkling of termination dust on the mountains at the head of the bay reminds me to savor each sunny, warm late summer day left of this year. For most of us, it is the signal to button up the loose ends of summer, begin the transition into the slowdown of fall and look forward to preparing some savory stews and soups.

But, before we can totally say goodbye to summer, we still have the opportunity to pick those last few deep burgundy raspberries heavy with their sweet, winey, summer sunshine flavor weighing heavy on their branches, ready to fall off at the slightest touch.

I spent a wonderful day in China Poot Bay this weekend running from one raspberry patch to the next stuffing those huge, red berries into my mouth as fast as I could pick them, knowing this would be my last taste of them until next August.

CHOCOLATE RAPSBERRY MOUSSE

Chocolate and raspberry are my favorite ending to a very special dinner.

Makes 4 servings.

1/2 cup butter, softened

1/3 cup granulated sugar

2 (1-ounce) squares semi-sweet baking chocolate, melted, cooled

2 pasteurized eggs

2 teaspoons Framboise (raspberry) liqueur, if desired

1/2 pint raspberries

Combine butter and sugar in small bowl. Beat at medium speed, scraping bowl often, until creamy. Add chocolate; continue beating, scraping bowl often, until well mixed. Add eggs; continue beating, scraping bowl often, until very creamy. Stir in raspberry liqueur, by hand, if desired.

To serve, place 4 raspberries in bottom of each of 4 parfait glasses. Top with G cup chocolate mousse, 4 raspberries and G cup chocolate mousse. Garnish with remaining raspberries. Store refrigerated. Any remaining mousse can be stored in the refrigerator up to two days.

CHOCOLATE RASPBERRY CHEESECAKE

Three of my favorite tastes in one dessert.

Serves 12

1 1/2 cups vanilla wafer crumbs

2 tablespoons butter or margarine, melted

4 (8-ounce) packages cream cheese, softened

1 1/4 cups granulated sugar

3 large eggs

1 cup sour cream

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/3 cup raspberry jam

2 cups semisweet chocolate chips — divided use

1/4 cup heavy cream

Combine vanilla wafer crumbs and melted butter; press onto the bottom of a 9-inch springform pan.

Combine 24 ounces softened cream cheese and sugar, mixing with an electric mixer at medium speed until well blended. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Blend in sour cream and vanilla; pour over the crust.

Melt 1 cup of the chocolate chips and combine with remaining 8 ounces cream cheese; mixing until well blended. Add raspberry jam; mix well. Drop the chocolate mixture by tablespoons over the plain cream cheese batter; do not swirl.

Bake at 325*F (160*C) for 1 hour and 25 minutes. Loosen the cake from the rim of the pan; cool before removing from the pan.

Combine remaining 1 cup chocolate chips and heavy cream over low heat, stirring until smooth. Spread over the cheesecake. Chill.

TRIPLE RASPBERRY SAUCE

Yield: 2 cups

This recipe is based on one from Ina Garten, one of my favorite celebrity chefs.

1 half-pint package fresh raspberries

1/3 cup granulated sugar

1/4 cup water

1 cup (12 ounces) seedless raspberry jam

2 tablespoons Framboise (raspberry) liqueur

Place traspberries, granulated sugar and G cup water in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil, lower the heat, and simmer for 4 minutes. Pour the cooked raspberries, jam and Framboise into the bowl of a food processor fitted with the steel blade and process until smooth. Chill.

JOSIE’S RASPBERRY CAKE WITH RASPBERRY GLAZE FROSTING

I saved the best for last!

Josie Bills gave me this recipe years ago when I deemed it the best thing to ever become of a picked raspberry. I think almost all my friends have this recipe.

Cake directions

Preheat oven to 325*

9x13 pan

1 1/2 pints fresh raspberries or 1 10 oz. package of thawed raspberries

1 box white cake mix

1 small package raspberry gelatin

I cup water

4 eggs

2/3 cup oil

1 tablespoon flour

Set aside 4 tablespoons raspberries and juice for frosting if using previously frozen berries. For fresh raspberries, use H cup mashed raspberries.

Blend remaining ingredients in bowl and mix according to directions on cake mix box. Bake in greased and floured baking pan at 350 degrees for 30-35 minutes.

Raspberry Glaze Frosting

Reserved berries and juice

1 stick butter

2 1/4 cup powdered sugar, sifted after measuring

Bring raspberries, juice and butter just to a boil. Remove from heat and beat in sifted powdered sugar

Drizzle over warm cake.

Until next time, have fun in the kitchen and savor these warm days and cool evenings.