Fruit Posts
Maple Roasted Figs
I put figs in the same camp as black licorice: People love them—or hate them. There never seems to be a middle ground. If you’re in the first group, then man-oh-man, are you in for a treat. Personally, I love figs. (And black licorice, if you’re keeping score.) They’re sweet; they’re earthy. Not to mention, [...]
Poached Pears with Spiced Caramel
If you know me, you know that I’m not a huge fan of making fussy desserts. Creamy. Buttery. Rich. Yes. But fussy, not my speed. (Don’t get me wrong, I love fancy pastry, but life’s too short to make certain things at home…) This dessert is actually the best of both worlds: It *seems* fussy, [...]
Drunken Cranberry Orange Compound Butter
This Drunken Cranberry Orange Butter is great on baked goods (English muffins, croissants, etc.). It’s also a great topping for pancakes and waffles. You can use it as a spread for chicken or turkey sandwiches—or stir it into wild rice before serving.
Orange Pound Cake
Warning: Baking this cake will fill your kitchen with the irresistible smell of oranges. This is a slightly modified version of a recipe I saw recently in Saveur. It’s a buttery pound cake shot through with freshly grated orange zest and soaked with sweet orange syrup.
How to Make Candied Fruit Peel
Candied fruit peel is one of those miraculous acts of culinary alchemy. You take tough, bitter fruit rind that’s packed with oil you could use to polish your furniture, and, thanks to the magic of sugar, transform it into heavenly, fragrant candy.
Concord Grape Jam
Concord grapes are the very same little purple wonders that give Welch’s grape juice its signature flavor. Here’s how to turn those jewels into jam.
Italian Prune Plum Crumble
I have to admit: Until recent years, I was scared to death of these little things. Are you kidding me: “Prune” in the same sentence with “dessert?” No, thank you. I didn’t get over it until well into my late twenties. And I’m still kicking myself that it took me that long.
No-Cook Strawberry Ice Cream
You can make this easy, no-cook strawberry ice cream in your blender. (No ice cream maker required!) The hardest part is waiting for it to freeze.
Blackberry Sorbet
One of my favorite ways to enjoy summer berries is to make sorbet. If you’ve never made sorbet, you may be surprised by how easy it is to do at home. You can’t beat the flavor. Nothing in the supermarket even comes close.
Basic Cooking: How to Make a Blueberry Pie
You don’t always need a ton of ingredients to make an absolutely mouthwatering dessert. Blueberry pie is one of my favorite summer treats. A few cups of fabulous, fresh fruit. A little sugar to bring out its flavor. A handful of flour to trap all that luscious juice and thicken it into a syrupy sauce.
