Tag Archives: dessert

Will you be my Valentine?

Amy Kweller MS, RD By on

February is American Heart Month. According to the American Heart Association, heart disease is the leading cause of death in the United States; it’s no wonder Valentine’s month is devoted to the heart! The best way to love your heart is to eat plenty of fruits and vegetables, exchange saturated fats for unsaturated fats, exercise, and manage weight and stress. From my personal experience in nutrition, most of us eat too many processed foods and not nearly enough plant foods packed with heart-healthy nutrients, fiber, and antioxidants. Certainly, we don’t have to cut out foods we love; we simply need to creatively come up with healthier, more natural alternatives. Do something sweet for your heart this Valentine’s Day. Instead of an extravagant, high-calorie dinner, opt for a romantic dessert at home. Combine dark chocolate, rich in phytonutrients that may improve Continue reading →

A Simple Pear Crisp

Lynsey By on

Last week I made a trip to Hood River, in the heart of one of USA Pears’ four growing regions, for the Hood River County Fruit Loop Pear Celebration.  Although it was overcast, which prevented the spectacular views that you’ll see on a clear day, the orchards were loaded with the new season crop of USA Pears in every variety.  Harvest is a few weeks late this year, but lucky for me, I was still able to pick up fresh Bartlett and Starkrimson pears at the many fruit stands on the loop. With my bounty, I decided to make a pear crisp, one of my favorite ways to kick off autumn.  I combined several different recipes to come up with a crisp that’s just how I like it – feel free to experiment and make your own adjustments! A Simple Continue reading →

Show Your Love with USA Pears

Brittany By on

It’s almost Valentine’s Day! I decided to round up some unusual gift ideas involving, of course, USA Pears. First, you could go the obvious route and give, well, pears. Red Anjou pears are in season now, and with their pretty red skin and light citrus notes, they’re a lovely gift for any girl or boy. Harry and David has some fun Valentine’s Day-themed gift sets. I especially like this Fondue for Two with their signature Royal Riviera Pears. If your sweetie has a knack for cooking, why not splurge on a Le Creuset dutch oven? Every cook I know covets one if they don’t own it already. And in bright, vivid red, it’s a fitting reminder of the romantic holiday. Or if you’d rather focus on the experience, why not make your Valentine a delicious dessert? Poached pears turn decadent Continue reading →

National Chocolate Cake Day

Brittany By on

It’s National Chocolate Cake Day! What are you waiting for?! If you haven’t yet celebrated, don’t worry. I’ve dug up three delectable chocolate cakes that just so happen to include the lovely, complementary, ever-so-sweet pear. Get to baking! First up, Smitten Kitchen’s rustic Bittersweet Chocolate and Pear Cake. You know you want to dig into that. Next, we have an Upside-Down Pear Chocolate Cake from the cookbook Rustic Fruit Desserts: Crumbles, Buckles, Cobblers, Pandowdies, and More. (This cookbook is delightful—we gave away a copy last year in an e-newsletter contest!) And behind door number three, the symmetrical, gluten-free Flourless Chocolate and Pear Cake at BBC Good Food. The measurements are metric, since it’s a British recipe, but you can find some help with that online. So, celebrate! Today you can have your cake and eat it, too! Facebook Twitter Google+ Continue reading →

Pear Almond Tart

Brittany By on

“If you are in need of something to end a meal with a lot of ‘WOW’ factor, but don’t have hours to spend in the kitchen, this is the dessert for you,” says recipe creator Carol Kicinski. Bosc pears are a great choice for this tart, as they hold their shape when baked, and their honey-sweet flavor shines in combination with the almond paste. Ingredients Crust 1 cup superfine white rice flour 3 tablespoons potato starch 1 tablespoon tapioca starch ½ teaspoon xanthan gum (Or substitute 1¼ cups of all-purpose gluten-free flour for the above ingredients) ½ teaspoon kosher or fine sea salt ½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, cold and cut into small pieces Up to ½ cup ice cold water Tart 1 8-ounce can Solo Almond Paste (not marzipan) ¼ cup powdered sugar 2 tablespoons melted butter 2 Continue reading →

Pear Ghosts

Brittany By on

Scary, I know… To get into the spooky spirit, I decided to create some pear ghosts for Halloween. They were really simple to make, and they would be adorable as party centerpieces. They’d also make a sweet treat for your trick-or-treaters! To make my Bosc pears ghostly, I whipped up some vanilla frosting. I learned how to make simple homemade frosting from my mom – put powdered sugar in a bowl with half a stick of softened butter, add some milk and vanilla extract, and whip it. I omitted the vanilla this time – I wanted bright white ghosts. You could also use candy coating or maybe white chocolate for an extra-decadent ghost. Once the frosting was smooth, I put it in the microwave for 30 seconds to melt it a bit. I stuck a wooden skewer into each pear Continue reading →

Gluten-Free Pear Almond Cake

Brittany By on

Pears and almonds have a natural affinity for one another, and this cake lets it shine. The cake somehow winds up being amazingly buttery, even though it is completely dairy-free and does not even use a dairy-free butter substitute. It’s best served warm, and great with coffee! Ingredients 4 ripe but firm USA Pears, divided 1 ¾ cups plus 2 teaspoons granulated sugar, divided 1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice 3 ¼ cups finely ground blanched almond meal 8 large eggs 1¼ teaspoons pure vanilla extract, divided 1 tablespoon agave nectar or honey 1 tablespoon grapeseed (or other neutral tasting) oil ½ cup sliced almonds Directions Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Lightly spray a 9 or 10 inch springform pan with gluten-free nonstick cooking spray. Cut a circle of parchment to fit the bottom of the pan, place in Continue reading →

Dairy-Free Pear Ice Cream

Brittany By on

I’m very excited to see our first (official) gluten-free, dairy-free pear recipe because it contains my favorite new discovery: almond milk! Combined with pears, almond milk makes this ice cream a deliciously smooth treat. Now, if only I had an ice cream maker… This recipe was created and developed by Carol Kicinski (of the beautiful blog Simply Gluten-Free) and is reproduced with permission by Pear Bureau Northwest. The ice cream is really creamy straight from the ice cream maker and gets a little bit more of an ice milk-type texture as it cures. A little dash of alcohol will handle that if you prefer a creamier, less grainy texture. Ingredients Pear Ice Cream 3 ripe pears ¾ cup light agave nectar 1 pinch salt 2 cups unsweetened almond milk Juice of ¼ lemon 2 teaspoons pear liqueur or vodka (optional) Continue reading →

Hot Fudge Pear Sundae

Brittany By on

It’s summer! Celebrate with seasonal staples: fresh fruit and ice cream. Add a different flavor of ice cream (peanut butter, rocky road, strawberry) to give this summer splurge your own spin! Ingredients 1 pint vanilla ice cream 1 cup chocolate fudge sauce 2 ripe Anjou USA pears, peeled, cored, and sliced Directions Place slices of pear into dessert cups. Top with scoops of vanilla ice cream. Heat chocolate fudge sauce and pour over ice cream. Serve immediately. preparation time: 5 minutes yield: serves 4 Facebook Twitter Google+ Pinterest LinkedIn

Nowadays, everybody’s keen on pears

Jenny By on

It’s fall, and lot of people are doing a lot of wonderful things with pears right now.  Even though USA Pears are available nearly year-round, a lot of people still think of them as a “fall fruit.”  So if people like to cook with the seasons, and believe that pears are a fall fruit, it’s no surprise that the internet is EXPLODING with creative, delicious-looking pear recipes. We have our very own USA Pears recipe collection, with time-tested (not to mention professionally-tested) appetizer, beverage, entree, dessert, and kid-friendly recipes, but we also like to pay attention to what’s going on out there in your kitchens.  Food blogs are all aflutter with incredible pear creations this fall, and I’ve rounded up a few of my faves for your enjoyment: Scarlet Poached Pears from the blog “Zested” (http://zested.wordpress.com/)  This was sent to me from a fan in Continue reading →