Hot Fruit

As much as we love to take a bite out of an apple or pear, there's something about  cooked fruit that's  lush and satisfying. Heat brings out the flavors, caramelizes the inherent sugars and creates a custardy texture. It turns an ordinary drupe, pone or berry into something special.

Apples are big right now. Many feel the best way to cook them is baked into a pie.It's a delicious way to have them, especially when the pie is warmed up and served with whipped cream or vanilla ice cream. However if you're not a big fan of crusts, there are two suggestions. One is a galette,a more rustic , yet surprisingly elegant tart. It's an open pie ,with the crust folded only an inch in, showing off apple slices usually arranged in a swirl pattern. The crust is the same as any lard based one and the filling's ingredients are the same as an apple pie's - cinnamon. sometimes' that's omitted so the cooked apple taste shines though. Sometimes the entire galette is brushed with apricot jam to give it a beautiful shine. The second idea is just make the filling - kind of like a chunky apple sauce in your slow cooker or crockpot. It can not only be served as dessert, but omit the cinnamon and serve it as a side to pork roast or pork chops.Of course baked apples are always a lovely fall dessert. You can bake them with brown sugar , cinnamon and butter but for a more sophisticated spin try them Piedmontese style with a filling of Marsala , butter and a pinch of sugar for each apple. For a fun Halloween party, think baked apples stuffed with caramel and chopped walnuts.

Pears are another fruit that are delicious when cooked. One of the most popular recipes is poached. Usually red wine is added along with orange peel in the cooking to impart more flavor. White wine can also be used. The fruit can also be baked in a galette, Try it with a buttery tart crust instead of a pie crust. Grocery stores are still selling peaches right now. Go for them, to get the last taste of summer. One of the most delicious is pesche ripiene Piedmontese. This is a big dessert in all of Piedmonte. It's stuffing sliced pitted peaches with crushed amaretti cookies with the chopped peach stones and butter. They're then baked with peach liqueur such as Schnappes . They're so delicious that you don't have to serve them with whipped cream although some home and professional chefs add a dab of marscapone cheese next to them. Peaches can also be baked as well with cinnamon and some kind of nut. This makes a great side to butter pecan or vanilla ice cream. Cranberries are the quintessential fall berry. Yes you can cook them into a sauce that goes well with turkey but they also can star in a sweet trifle recipe. Layer them with buttery pound cake slices and a cream cheese/whipped cream filling. This would even make a great holiday dessert for Thanksgiving and Christmas.

Cooked or baked fruits are more sophisticated way to serve fall's bounty. They become more complex and flavorful, thanks to baking or slow cooking. They go beyond being apples and pears, peaches and cranberries and transform into memorable tastes.