Having ice cream, puff pastry, waffles or other store-bought building blocks for sweets in the freezer is like money in the bank.

Tropical Fruit Tart

Makes 8 to 10 servings

.

Puff pastry is one of our favorite freezer shortcuts — especially when paired with sweet pineapple, tangy mango and nutty coconut.

All-purpose flour, for work surface

1 sheet frozen puff pastry, thawed

1 pound fresh pineapple chunks

1/4 cup sugar

1 tablespoon lemon juice

2 1/2 teaspoons powdered unflavored gelatin (one 1/4-ounce packet)

3/4 cup cold heavy cream

1 mango, peeled, pitted and thinly sliced

4 ounces unsweetened coconut flakes (2 tablespoons), toasted

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. On a floured surface, roll puff pastry into a 10-by-14-inch rectangle. Trim uneven edges. Place pastry on a baking sheet. With a sharp knife, lightly score pastry 1 inch from edges, creating a border; with a fork, pierce dough all over inside border. Bake until golden, about 12 to 15 minutes. Let cool completely.

2. Meanwhile, in a medium saucepan, cook pineapple, sugar and lemon juice over medium-high heat until pineapple begins to break down, about 10 to 12 minutes. Transfer to a blender and purée until smooth.

3. Pour through a fine-mesh sieve back into saucepan, discarding solids, and sprinkle with gelatin. Let stand until gelatin softens, about 5 minutes. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring, then pour into a medium bowl set in a bowl of ice water. Stir until cool and thickened, about 4 minutes.

4. Whisk cream until soft peaks form. Stir pineapple mixture until smooth; fold in whipped cream until combined. Spread on pastry and top with mango and coconut.

Nutritional information per serving (based on 10): 345 calories; 23 grams fat (12 grams saturated fat); 4 grams protein; 32 grams carbohydrates; 3 grams fiber

Waffle-and-Strawberry Trifle

Makes 10 servings

While any type of frozen waffle will work for this trifle, we like Belgian ones for their large nooks and crisp texture.

1/3 cup plus 3/4 cup sugar

3 tablespoons cornstarch

1/8 teaspoon fine salt

1 1/2 cups whole milk

2 cups heavy cream

2 large egg yolks

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

2 pounds strawberries, hulled and cut into 1/4-inch slices

8 ounces frozen Belgian waffles, toasted and cut into 1 1/2-inch pieces

1. Place a fine-mesh sieve over a medium heatproof bowl. In a medium saucepan, whisk together 1/3 cup sugar, cornstarch, salt, milk, 1/2 cup cream and egg yolks. Cook over medium-high heat, whisking constantly, until thickened and bubbling, about 6 minutes. Reduce heat to medium-low and cook, whisking, about 1 minute. Pour through sieve into bowl. Stir in butter and vanilla until combined. Press plastic wrap against surface of pudding to prevent a skin from forming and refrigerate 3 hours.

2. Toss strawberries with 1/2 cup sugar; let sit until fruit has released some juice, about 20 minutes. Using an electric mixer, beat 1 1/2 cups cream and 1/4 cup sugar on medium-high until stiff peaks form, about 2 minutes.

3. In a large bowl or trifle dish, layer 1/2 the waffles, strawberries, pudding and whipped cream; repeat. Cover trifle with plastic wrap and refrigerate at least 2 hours before serving.

Nutritional information per serving: 404 calories; 24 grams fat (14 grams saturated fat); 5 grams protein; 44 grams carbohydrates; 2 grams fiber