Apples
Look for apples that are firm, brightly colored and free of bruises. The skin should be clean and shiny; a dull finish indicates the fruit may be past its prime. Refrigerate apples up to two weeks. At room temperature, they ripen too quickly and become mealy. Apples are also good baked in pies, roasted or sautéed to accompany meat dishes.

Grapes
Look for grapes that are plump, unblemished and firmly attached to a flexible stem. Ripe white and green grapes should have a yellowish cast; red and purple ones should have no green. Refrigerate grapes in a ventilated plastic bag up to one week.

Pears
Pears ripen off the tree, so most of the fruit you’ll find at the market will need a few days to soften at home. Common varieties include: Anjou, which is egg-shaped with a green, rose-tinged green, or red skin; Bosc, which has a slender neck and a brown skin (Boscs are flavorful even before fully ripe so they are good for cooking); and Bartlett, which has a red skin or a green skin that yellows as it ripens. Let pears ripen at room temperature. When they’re ready to eat, the flesh on the neck of the fruit will give a little when pressed. Refrigerate ripe pears for up to five days. Cooking can really bring out their flavor, so try them baked or poached.

Pomegranates
This slightly sour fruit has gotten a lot of press as an antioxidant powerhouse. The juice provides a tangy base for marinades and the seeds can be mixed into salads to give them flavor.

Dates
This Middle Eastern favorite is a sweet fruit that is perfect braised in stews, chopped up in desserts, stuffed with cream cheese or almonds or baked into quick breads.

Kiwi
Use this sweet fruit to add a tropical flavor to your recipes. It’s great mixed with other fruits for a fruit salad or combined with pineapple to make a tangy chutney.

 

Apple-Date Cake

12 servings

Ingredients

• Nonstick cooking spray
• 2/3 cup fat-free milk
• 2/3 cup chopped pitted dates
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 3/4 cup chopped peeled apple
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 egg, lightly beaten
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 1/2 cup chopped pecans
• 1/4 cup packed brown sugar
• 1 tablespoon butter, softened
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour, plus 1 teaspoon all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly coat an 8 x 8 x 2-inch baking pan with cooking spray. Set aside.

In a small saucepan combine milk, dates and salt; heat until steaming but do not boil. Remove from the heat. Stir in apple and vanilla; cool to room temperature.

Whisk in egg and oil and stir until combined. Set aside.

For the topping:

In a small bowl stir together pecans, brown sugar, butter, the 1 teaspoon flour and the cinnamon; set aside.

For the cake:

In a medium bowl whisk together the 1-1/2 cups flour, the baking powder and baking soda. Add milk mixture all at once to the flour mixture. Stir just until combined. Spoon batter into the prepared baking pan. Sprinkle evenly with the pecan topping mixture.

Bake about 25 minutes or until a knife inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool slightly. Serve warm.

Italian Grape Cake

Ingredients

• 2 large eggs, at room temperature
• 2/3 cup (135 g) sugar
• 4 tablespoons (2 ounces; 60 g) unsalted butter, melted
• 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 1/3 cup milk
• 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1 1/2 cups (200 g) unbleached all-purpose flour
• 3/4 teaspoon baking powder
• A pinch of sea salt
• Grated zest of 1 lemon
• Grated zest of 1 orange
• 10 ounces (300 g) small, fresh, seedless purple grapes
• Confectioners’ sugar, for garnish

Directions

Preheat oven to 350°F

Generously butter and flour a 9 inch springform pan, tapping out any excess flour. Set aside.

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a whisk, beat the eggs and sugar until thick and lemon-colored, about 3 minutes. Add the butter, oil, milk and vanilla extract and mix until blended.

Sift the flour, baking powder and salt into a large bowl. Add the lemon zest and orange zest, and toss to coat the zest with the flour.

Spoon the mixture into the bowl of batter and stir with a wooden spoon until thoroughly blended. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and mix once more. Set aside for 10 minutes to allow the flour to absorb the liquids.

Stir about 3/4 of the grapes into the batter. Spoon the batter into the prepared cake pan and smooth out the top with a spatula.

Place the pan in the center of the oven. Bake for 15 minutes, then sprinkle the top of the cake with the remaining grapes. Bake until the top is a deep golden brown and the cake feels quite firm when pressed with a fingertip, about 40 minutes more, for a total baking time of 55 minutes.

Remove to a rack to cool. After 10 minutes, run a knife along the sides of the pan. Release and remove the side of the springform pan, leaving the cake on the pan base.

Sprinkle with confectioners’ sugar just before serving. Serve at room temperature. Cut the cake into thin wedges.

Pear Quick Bread

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup molasses
• 1/4 cup honey
• 1 egg white
• 1 cup buttermilk
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 1 3/4 cups white whole wheat flour
• 1/2 cup wheat bran
• 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 cups finely chopped fresh pears (not too ripe – more hard than soft)
• 1/2 cup chopped walnuts

Directions

Mix together molasses, honey, egg white, buttermilk and oil in a small bowl or glass measuring cup.

Mix flour, bran, sugar, baking soda and salt in a mixing bowl and add the wet mixture all at once.

Stir in the chopped pears and walnuts.

Pour into a 9 x 5-inch lightly greased baking pan.

Bake at 350°F for 60 to 70 minutes, or until the bread tests done (cake tester inserted in middle of loaf comes out clean). Makes 1 large loaf.

Pomegranate-Ginger Muffins

Makes 12 muffins

Ingredients

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2/3 cup sugar, plus extra for the topping
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/3 cup minced crystallized ginger
• 1 teaspoon grated lemon peel
• 1 1/4 cups pomegranate seeds
• 1 cup milk
• 1 large egg
• 1/4 cup (1/8 lb.) butter or margarine, melted and cooled

Directions

In a bowl, mix flour, 2/3 cup sugar, baking powder and salt. Stir in crystallized ginger, lemon peel and pomegranate seeds. Make a well in the center.

In a measuring cup, blend milk, egg and melted butter. Pour mixture all at once into the well in the bowl with the flour mixture. Stir just until batter is moistened; it will be lumpy.

Spoon batter into 12 (2 1/2-in.-wide) or 24 (1 3/4-in.-wide) buttered mini muffin cups, filling each almost to the rim. Sprinkle the tops of each muffin with granulated sugar.

Bake in a 425°F oven until lightly browned, about 16 minutes for the large muffin pan or 13 minutes for the small muffin pan. Remove muffins from the pan immediately and cool on a wire rack.

Kiwi Ricotta Cheesecake

Ingredients

• 2/3 cup (about 3 oz.) gingersnap cookie crumbs or biscotti crumbs
• 1/2 cup minced crystallized ginger, divided
• 2 tablespoons melted butter
• 15 oz. (1 2/3 cups) ricotta cheese
• 4 large egg whites
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice
• 1 cup plain Greek yogurt
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 tablespoon grated lemon peel
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 3 kiwi fruit (about 1/4 lb. each)

Directions

Combine crumbs, 1/4 cup crystallized ginger and melted butter. Pat crumb mixture evenly the over bottom of a removable-rim 8-inch cheesecake pan.

Bake in a 350°F oven until the crust is lightly brown, 10 to 12 minutes.

In a blender or food processor, process ricotta cheese, egg whites and lemon juice until very smooth.

In a mixing bowl, stir together yogurt, sugar, lemon peel and vanilla. Add ricotta mixture and stir until well blended (the mixture is thin). Pour into the (hot or cool) crust.

Bake in a 350°F oven until the center barely jiggles when cake is gently shaken, 50 to 55 minutes. Run a thin-bladed knife between cake and pan rim.

Refrigerate cake, uncovered, until cool, at least 2 1/2 hours. (If making ahead, wrap airtight when cool and chill up to 2 days.)

Remove pan rim. Peel kiwi fruit and slice crosswise. Arrange fruit in a ring in overlapping slices on top of the cake and sprinkle with remaining ginger. Cut cake into wedges.

Posted by Jovina Coughlin in apples, Bread, cake, Cheese, cheesecake, dates, Desserts, Fruit, grapes, pomegrantes, yogurt Tags: baking with fall fruit