Issue Date: October 9, 2005
Fast, fabulous fall fruit desserts
Three classics made super easy.
Whether it's because of a trip to the orchard, a drive past a farm stand or a stroll beside a special display in the produce aisle, many of us find ourselves with a cornucopia of apples and pears this time of year.
What should you do if you've got excess fruit and not much time? Consider my easy recipes for three fruit classics.
But first, here are tips on selecting the best fruit for each of the desserts:
For roasted pears. All major varieties -- Bartlett, Bosc, red, Anjou -- work equally well. However, Bosc roasts up slightly firmer than the others.
For pear crisp. Actually, this dessert is best with jarred pears, which usually can be found in the produce department's refrigerated section. It takes more than two jars to get the amount of fruit you need. Each jar is pricey, so you may want to buy only two jars and fill out the rest with less-expensive canned pears.
For apple dumplings. Don't use Red Delicious. Make the dumplings with any of your favorite firm or soft apple varieties -- just remember to choose small apples. You also can substitute pears.
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Roasted Pears with Caramel Sauce
This golden, glossy delight couldn't be easier to make.
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4 Tbs. butter
1 cup packed dark brown sugar
4 pears, halved and cored
1/2 cup sour cream
1/4 cup coarsely chopped toasted pistachios (or your favorite nuts)
Adjust oven rack to center position and heat oven to 400 degrees. Place butter in a baking pan large enough to hold the pears in a single layer; set in the heating oven until butter melts.
Sprinkle sugar over melted butter, then place pears, cut side down, on top. Bake until tender, about 30 minutes.
Remove pan from oven, turn over pears and baste with pan sauce. Return to oven; bake until golden and glossy, about 10 minutes.
Let cool slightly. Transfer pears to dessert plates or bowls. Top each with a dollop of sour cream, drizzle with caramel pan sauce, sprinkle with nuts and serve.
Serves 4
Per serving: 513 calories, 3g protein, 82g carbohydrates, 22g fat (11g saturated), 44mg cholesterol, 5g fiber, 188mg sodium.
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Ginger Pear Crisp
1 cup crushed crumbs from4 ounces gingersnaps
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup dark brown sugar
1/2 cup walnuts, pecans or slivered almonds, coarsely chopped, OR 1/2 cupold-fashioned oatmeal
5 Tbs. melted (not hot) butter
5 1/2 to 6 cups jarred or canned pears in light syrup, in bite-sized chunks
1 cup plus 2 Tbs.reserved pear syrup
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 tsp. ground ginger
1/8 tsp. ground cloves
1 Tb. cornstarch
Adjust oven rack to center position and heat oven to 375 degrees. Mix gingersnap crumbs, flour, brown sugar, nuts (or oatmeal) and butter in a medium bowl; set aside. Place pears in a medium bowl.
Bring 1 cup of the pear syrup, 1/4 cup sugar, ginger and cloves to a boil in a small saucepan. Whisk cornstarch into remaining 2 Tbs. pear juice, then whisk it into boiling syrup; continue to simmer until thick, less than a minute. Pour over pears, toss to coat and turn into a 9-inch square baking pan.
Sprinkle crumble clusters over pears. Bake until topping is golden and pears are bubbly, 25 to 30 minutes. Cool until warm and serve.
Serves 4
Per serving: 396 calories, 3g protein, 67g carbohydrates, 15g fat (6g saturated), 19mg cholesterol, 4g fiber, 144mg sodium.
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Apple Dumplings with Rich Cinnamon Sauce
3 Tbs. softened butter, plus 2 Tbs. for the sauce
1/2 cup packed dark brown sugar, plus 1/2 cup for the sauce
1 tsp. ground cinnamon, plus 1 tsp. for the sauce
1/4 cup chopped toasted pecansor walnuts
4 small apples (any variety but Red Delicious), peeled, halved and cored, a thin sliver cut off bottoms so apples sit flat
2 9-inch pie crusts from a 15-ounce box, such as Pillsbury, found in refrigerator case (or homemade dough)
1 egg white
2 Tbs. sugar
2 tsps. cornstarch
Adjust oven rack to lower-middle position and heat oven to 425 degrees.
Mix 3 Tbs. butter, 1/2 cup brown sugar, 1 tsp. cinnamon and all the nuts in a small bowl. Spoon a portion of the mixture into each hollowed-out apple.
For boxed pie crusts, unroll one of the dough sheets onto a floured work surface. Pulling on sides of dough to straighten rounded edges, roll it into an approximate 12-inch square, then cut the dough into four 6-inch squares; brush the edge of each square with egg white. Set an apple half on each square. Bring up the dough's 4 corners around the apple and pinch edges to seal. Place on a large (at least 12-by-18-inch) parchment-covered baking dish. Brush dumpling tops and sides with egg white; sprinkle with sugar.
Repeat the process with remaining apples and dough.
Bake dumplings until pastry sets and starts to turn golden, about 10 minutes. Reduce heat to 375 and bake until golden brown, about 20 minutes longer.
While apples bake, bring 1 cup water, the remaining 2 Tbs. butter, 1/2 cup brown sugar and 1 tsp. cinnamon to boil in a small saucepan over medium heat. Dissolve cornstarch in 2 tsps. water; whisk into hot syrup for a smooth sauce. Cover, keep warm.
For each serving, spoon a portion of sauce on a dessert plate. Set apple dumpling over warm sauce; serve immediately.
Serves 8
Per serving: 486 calories, 3g protein, 63g carbohydrates, 26g fat (7g saturated), 19mg cholesterol, 3g fiber, 398mg sodium.
Contributing Editor Pam Anderson is the author of "CookSmart" (Houghton Mifflin, $28).
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