By The kitchen is in full fall mode. The oven at 375 (always 375), the crockpot on the counter, the pantry stocked with jars from last August's canning — the evidence of a woman who preserves summer against winter and loss against forgetting and food against everything.
I made caramel apples this week — the fall version, the one that fills the kitchen with the smell that means this time of year, this stage of life, this specific Tuesday when the stove is warm and the family is fed and the feeding is the point. Kevin ate seconds. The man always eats seconds. The eating is the approval and the approval is the marriage.
The trees along the highway are turning — maples red, oaks gold, the Bradford pears doing their useless purple thing. Iowa falls are short and violent and beautiful. The kitchen shifts to slow mode: crockpots, Dutch ovens, the oven at 375 from September through April. The fall cooking is the cooking of a woman settling in for the long season.
After a week of caramel apples and the oven running steady, I wanted something that used up the fruit on the counter without asking too much of me — something that could go in at 375 and come out smelling like the whole point of fall. Mary’s baked fruit is that recipe. It’s the kind of thing a woman makes when she’s already in slow mode, already settled in for the long season, and the kitchen just needs one more warm thing in it.
Mary S Baked Fruit
Prep Time: 10 min | Cook Time: 35 min | Total Time: 45 min | Servings: 6
Ingredients
- 1 can (15 oz) sliced peaches, drained
- 1 can (15 oz) pear halves, drained and sliced
- 1 can (15 oz) apricot halves, drained
- 1 can (8 oz) pineapple chunks, drained
- 1/2 cup maraschino cherries, drained
- 1/3 cup brown sugar, packed
- 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
- 2 tablespoons butter, cut into small pieces
Instructions
- Preheat. Heat oven to 375°F. Lightly butter a 2-quart baking dish.
- Layer the fruit. Arrange peaches, pears, apricots, pineapple, and cherries in the prepared baking dish, mixing gently to distribute evenly.
- Add the topping. Combine brown sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg in a small bowl and stir together. Sprinkle evenly over the fruit.
- Dot with butter. Scatter the small pieces of butter across the top of the fruit and sugar mixture.
- Bake. Place uncovered in the oven and bake for 30–35 minutes, until the fruit is tender, the juices are bubbling around the edges, and the top is lightly caramelized.
- Rest and serve. Let stand 5 minutes before serving. Serve warm on its own, or alongside pound cake, vanilla ice cream, or whipped cream.
Nutrition (per serving)
Calories: 175 | Protein: 1g | Fat: 4g | Carbs: 36g | Fiber: 2g | Sodium: 30mg