Roasted Apples and Pears Dried Cranberries & Candied Ginger

Roasted Apples and Pears – Easy. Scrumptious. Gluten-Free.

Once again, needing to include a dessert for an upcoming cooking class inspired the development of a new recipe. For a class featuring the end of summer’s tomatoes and lots of fresh herbs, how could it not also feature the first of fall’s apples and pears. And, so it does with deeply flavored, wonderfully fragrant Roasted Apples and Pears Dried Cranberries & Candied Ginger.

No Peeling Required

Which is a good thing. As with both apples and pears, the majority of their vitamins, minerals and other nutrients are found in their peel. Peel the skin and you peel away much of what makes apples and pears so healthy—fiber, nutrition and phytonutrients. Plus, aesthetically, the contrast of the peel with the flesh adds a welcome contrast of color and texture.

 Choose Organic

Both apples and pears have made the Environmental Working Group’s Dirty Dozen list for many years. Thus, for the least amount of pesticide residue, choose organic apples and pears.

Comparing Apples to Apples and Pears to Pears
After a bit of research comparing varieties of apples and pears, I found a number of differing opinions about which varieties work best for baking, sauce-making or eating fresh.

There are over 100 varieties of apples and 10 major varieties of pears grown commercially in the U.S.  With so many different varieties from which to choose, I’ve combined a number of sources, including my own experience, to bring you this list of easily available apples and pears for baking.

The best apples and pears for baking have firmer fruit that holds its shape when baked or poached.

• Apples – Granny Smith, Honeycrisp, Jazz, Pink Lady (Cripps Pink), Gala and Fuji.
• Pears – Green and Red D’Anjou, Green Bartlett, Bosc and Comice.

Consider these recommendations as a starting point. Refine them as you experiment with and discover those varieties that work best for you.

Note: When choosing pears, color is a sign only for green Bartlett pears, as they turn yellow when ripe. Otherwise, use the thumb test for pears. When ripe, the flesh will give slightly around the stem end when lightly pressed with your thumb.

Transitioning into Fall Cooking Class, 21 September 2019

Just one seat remaining for this upcoming cooking class. Send me an email today to register:  Janice@EverydayHealthyEverydayDelicious.com.

Roasted Apples and Pears Dried Cranberries & Candied Ginger

• Use either a variety of apples and pears or all the same variety.
• A melon baller makes quick work of coring the apples and pears.
• For the best flavor, serve Roasted Apples and Pears Dried Cranberries & Candied Ginger warm or at room temperature.
• Naturally gluten-free.
• Inspired by and adapted from a recipe by Martha Rose Shulman.

Makes 6-7 servings                       Printer-Friendly Recipe.
Active Time   15 minutes
Total Time about 1 ½ hours

Ingredients

• 2 pounds apples (about 4), such as Pink Lady, Gala, Honeycrisp and/or Granny Smith, cored and cut into sixths
• 1 ½ pounds ripe, firm pears (about 3), such as Bartlett, Green & Red D’Anjou and/or Comice, cored and cut into sixths
• Zest of 1 lemon
• Juice of 1 lemon, divided
• 1 cup apple juice
• 3 tablespoons dried, fruit-sweetened cranberries
• 3 tablespoons finely-diced candied ginger
• 2 tablespoons apricot jam or preserves, preferably fruit-sweetened
• 1 tablespoon maple syrup
• ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
• ½ teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
• 2 tablespoons (1 ounce) butter (optional for dairy-free and vegan)
• 1 ½ teaspoons pure vanilla extract

Preparation

1. Heat the oven to 375 degrees. Zest the lemon and set the zest aside.
2. Half fill a medium bowl with 3 cups of water and the juice of half a lemon (about 1 tablespoon). Core and slice the fruit and add it to the lemon water. Once all the apples and pears have been tossed in the lemon water, drain them.
3. In a large baking dish (mine is a 9” x 14” oval baking dish, 2 ¾ quarts), toss the drained fruit with the remaining 1 tablespoon of lemon juice.
4. In a small saucepan over medium heat, combine the apple juice, lemon zest, dried cranberries, diced candied ginger, apricot jam, maple syrup, cinnamon and freshly grated nutmeg. When the mixture comes to a simmer, turn off the heat.
5. Stir in the butter and vanilla extract. Then pour it over the apples and pears. Gently toss the fruit in the spiced & flavored apple juice. Place the baking dish in the oven.
6. For the first hour, remove the baking dish from the oven every 20 minutes to give the fruit a gentle stir to keep it moist. Continue baking for another 15 minutes or until the apples and pears are very tender.
7. Serve Roasted Apples and Pears Dried Cranberries & Candied Ginger while warm or at room temperature. Impressive and delicious with a spoonful of Whipped Coconut Cream.

Printer-Friendly Recipe.