I had a vegetable drawer filled with fuji apples that had seen better days. They were not fit to eat for my mid morning snack. It’s rare that I clean out my vegetable bin and throw things away. I always try and “re purpose” neglected veggies and fruit and turn them into something delicious.
These apples were no different. I need to turn them into something yummy and a crostata wasn’t going to cut it (my usual go to dessert when I have too much of one thing on hand). A few weeks back I had given away a copy of The Fearless Baker on this blog post and I really wanted to bake a few more things from the book. I remembered reading about her Apple Crisp Bars and earmarked the page. I grabbed the book and started collecting ingredients. I already have a favorite crust for fruit type bars as well as a streusel topping. I did, however, make her apple filling and it was good enough to eat with a spoon, all on it’s own.
I brought these to a casual lunch and both men and women devoured them. The kids topped the ends and the leftovers with vanilla bean ice cream and said it was hands down better than any apple dessert they had ever tasted. This gets my vote as well!
Pears have a special place in my childhood. When I was a kid, my family would pick pears from the trees in my aunt and uncle's backyard. They always had more pears than they knew what to do with. My aunt made pear sauce, much like apple sauce, and my mom would can the pears to be eaten as compote. We would also eat them raw, when their so sweet, juicy, and buttery. I love them that way, but often enough the ones you buy in the market are not the best to eat out of hand. That's when I like to poach pears to create a unique dessert.
Did you know the "Whoopie pie" is the State Treat of Maine? I had no idea states had designated treats. I'm dying to know what the state treat is here...it better be candy bacon.
