Photos by Edward Pond

On November 6th, Cuisine Canada and the University of Guelph celebrate Canadian cookbooks and food writing with their annual Canadian Culinary Book Awards. Among the shortlisted cookbooks is The Complete Canadian Living Baking Book published in 2008 by Transcontinental Books and one dandy baking book suited to Canadian home kitchens and ingredients, not forgetting our home bakers.

I have a theory that I write about in the book, and that is that Canadians are hard-wired to bake. Be it the climate, the influence of easy-to-use cookstoves early in settling the country, immigrants who brought baking traditions with them, the availability of butter, eggs and fruit, for example, in the largely agricultural population, inexpensive sugar and flour ... whatever, Canadians love to bake. And they do it often. When others turn to bake-shops for their celebration cakes, their Sunday dinner tarts or special treats, Canadians head to the kitchen to check the fridge for eggs, fruit and milk, their cupboard for chocolate and raisins, and bake a cake. Or a pan of squares, a batch of cookies or a flaky fruit pie. 

Our baking skills come in handy in so many ways. What a benefit they have been to our communities. Take the bake sale. How many rinks have their roofs, teams their jerseys, religious institutions programs and new carpets thanks to the prowess of members' baking skills? Think of all the cookie exchanges every holiday season - what a great excuse to get together with neighbours, work colleagues and good old friends - incentive and price of being part of the group? 6 dozen really fine cookies. Think of the clincher in many a relationship when a lemon meringue pie is produced, or thick fudgy brownies. How many hearts have been won over. It's not a coincidence that cake is served at weddings. And sweet foods of consolation at times of grief.

So, The Complete Canadian Living Baking Book reflects this love of baking at the same time as it encourages it. For inexperienced bakers, the book is rich in step-by-step photos that get the baker right into the nitty gritty of cutting in butter or whipping egg whites to stiff peaks. For readers whose measuring cups have had a good workout, the cookbook  provides them with a reliable reference, inspiration to try something new, and a selection of darn good recipes. 

It would be wonderful to win gold, but if The Complete Canadian Living Baking Book doesn't, there's still the satisfaction of knowing that the book has introduced many Canadians to the art and skill of baking and provided sweet and savoury dishes for the pleasure to all the recipients of bakers' care. Bake on, Canadians. 

 This moist cake came to the test kitchen via Adell Shneer, one of Canadian Living's talented bakers. And the recipe came to her via her husband Michael's aunt, Malcah Sufrin who serves the cake with the orange syrup in the recipe. We added another option for finishing the cake - an orange glaze. Both versions will make your cake-baking reputation whether the cake makes its appearance with tea in the afternoon, with a citrus fruit salad to finish dinner, or as the sweetie at brunch and coffee time.

1 cup (250 mL) butter, softened

1-1/4 cups (300 mL) granulated sugar

4 large eggs, separated and at room temperature

1 tbsp (15 mL) finely grated  orange rind

1 tsp (5 mL) vanilla

2 cups (500 mL) all-purpose flour

1-1/2 tsp (7 mL) each baking powder and baking soda

1/2 tsp (2 mL) salt

1-1/2 cups (375 mL) sour cream

Syrup:

1/2 cup (125 mL) granulated sugar

1/2 cup (125 mL) orange juice

1/3 cup (75 mL) orange liqueur such as Triple Sec, Grand Marnier or Cointreau

. Using a bristle pastry brush and soft butter, thoroughly coat the inside of a 9-inch (2.5 L) fancy of classic Bundt or tube pan, making sure to grease the crevices. Sprinkle a couple of tablespoonfuls of all-purpose flour into the pan; rotate and tilt the pan, tapping the pan to coat its inside thoroughly. Turn the pan over and tap out excess flour. Set the pan aside. 

. In a large bowl, beat the butter with 1 cup (250 mL) of the sugar until light coloured and fluffy. Reserving the egg whites in a large clean bowl, beat the egg yolks into the butter mixture, 1 at a time, beating well after each. Beat in the orange rind and vanilla.

. In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt; stir into the butter mixture alternately with the sour cream, making 3 additions of dry ingredients and 2 of sour cream.

. With clean beaters, beat the egg whites until frothy.  Beat in the remaining sugar 1 tbsp (15 mL) at a time, until stiff peaks form. Fold one-third of the egg whites into the batter to lighten the batter; fold in the remainder. 

. Scrape the batter into the prepared pan. Smooth the top and tap the pan several times on the work surface to ensure that batter reaches all the pan's crevices.

. Bake in the centre of a 325°F (160°C) oven until a cake tester inserted in the mid point of the cake comes out clean, about 1 hour.

. Let cake rest in pan on a rack for 20 minutes for the structure to firm.

. Gently loosen cake around the edge and centre. Place a rack over the cake. Wear oven mitts or use pot holders to grasp the bottom of the pan and, holding the rack firmly on top, turn the cake over. Lift the pan up and off. If, horrors of horrors, the pan sticks, Turn the cake and rack back over and with a thin, flexible plastic blade, loosen the cake further down the side. Repeat the turning action

. Syrup: Meanwhile, on a small saucepan, bring sugar, orange juice and liqueur to a boil over medium heat; reduce the heat to low and simmer until the syrup is reduced to 3/4 cup (175 mL), about 7 minutes.

. Let syrup cool for 5 minutes. Brush half over the warm cake. Let cool. (Make-ahead: Wrap and store at room temperature for up to 1 day or overwrap with heavy-duty foil and freeze for up to 2 weeks.) Serve with remaining syrup.

Orange Glaze: Let the cake cool completely. In a bowl, mix 1-3/4 cup (425 mL) icing sugar with 4 tsp (20 mL) orange juice, adding a little more juice if necessary to make the mixture pourable. Slowly pour or spoon over the cake. Let stand until dry, about 1 hour. 

Thanks to: I had the pleasure of working with the test kitchen, in particular Heather Howe and Adell Shneer in preparing the recipes, choosing the best ones from years of excellent examples. Tina Anson Mine had the important role as project editor, and Michael Erb as designer. The fact that the book looks so good, is so well edited and contains such reliable, tested-til-perfect recipes is a testament to these people, and to the whole magazine team from editorial assistants, senior editors, copy editors, the editor-in-chief to test kitchen staff.

When I think of applesauce, pictures pop up in my mind. The first, as a kid when dessert was always on the menu for weeknight suppers. In the spring, a more or less steady supply of stewed rhubarb, then summer's succession of fresh berries, peaches and when summer turned to fall, applesauce. If there was nothing else, the rounded white Leonard door opened to a bowl of applesauce. It was one of the first things I learned to cook - so simple: peeled apples, a splash of water, some heat, a little elbow grease with the potato masher and a touch of sugar or honey for sweetness. 

The second applesauce image comes from a visit to a boyfriend's family home near Pittsburg in the US. The boyfriend loved applesauce - only for breakfast. During the visit, after I'd been OKed by his family, his mother took me to the chest freezer to show me the quarts of applesauce -frozen in the fall, ready for when the golden boy came home from college, yearning for his applesauce breakfast. As I remember, it went with strips of crisp bacon, and I may have imagined this part, cinnamon toast. On reflection, this was Mom passing the applesauce baton onto me, future wife and cook. The guy's long gone from my life, and but not his applesauce.

Move the kitchen up to the 70s when Julia Child's Mastering the Art of French Cooking was a best seller, and all the rage - the first time round. The book inspired the introduction of Charlotte aux Pommes (Apple Charlotte) and Tarte aux Pommes (Apple Tart)  to my entertaining dessert repertoire. Simply put, a charlotte is a moulded dessert, in the case of apples, a rich thickened applesauce surrounded by butter crisped strips of bread, baked, turned out and eaten with lightly whipped cream. The Tart features artfully arranged and glazed  apple slices over applesauce simmered to a lustrous deep golden apple "marmalade". A far cry from a humble  bowl of applesauce, well beyond the companion to cinnamon toast and bacon, these desserts are  the "haut" of the applesauce world. 

So why, in the 21st century would anyone take a perfectly good apple and bother to make applesauce? Is it frugality? What was thrifty eating now has the cachet of  local and seasonal. Apples are not expensive, especially at markets and roadside stands. Applesauce is simple to make - a good introduction for kids interested in cooking. Best of all, different varieties of apples make different tasting applesauce - and you don't get that out of a jar in the supermarket!  You can sweeten as you like and according to the sweetness of the apples - not much for Gala, a touch more for Cortland or Northern Spy. And applesauce is a delightful ingredient, adding the essence of a crisp fall day to muffins, quickbread loaves, puddings, and as they say, much more...see below. 

Very Simple Applesauce

This template recipe yields about 4 cups (1 L) applesauce - enough to enjoy for a few suppers and breakfasts. Double or quadruple the amount if you want to freeze or preserve some in jars for cold times. While cinnamon is almost wedded to apples and sauce, I recommend making the sauce without so you can enjoy the clean taste of the apples. You can always add cinnamon or a grate of nutmeg to the sauce at serving time.

10 cups (2.5 L) peeled, cored and sliced apples (7 large apples or 3 lb/1.5 kg)

1 cup (250 mL) water

1/4 cup (50 mL) granulated sugar, optional

. In a medium-large saucepan, bring the apples and water to a simmer over medium heat. Cover, reduce the heat to low and simmer, stirring occasionally, until the apples are tender, about 20 minutes. 

. Mash with a potato masher or fork for chunky sauce, or for silky smoothness, press through a food mill or puree using an immersion blender or stand blender.

. Taste, adding sugar if desired.

. Makes about 4 cups (1 L) applesauce.

Microwave Applesauce: Pack the apples with the water into a large microwaveable bowl. Microwave uncovered on high for 12 minutes, stirring twice; let stand for 2 minutes. Mash as desired.

Rosy Pink Applesauce: If you're making sauce with red apples such as Cortland, McIntosh, Spartan or Empire, wash the apples thoroughly and leave the skins on when you're coring and slicing the apples. Press the cooked sauce through a food mill or sieve to remove the skins - but not the colour they've added to the sauce. Or puree the cooked sauce in a food processor or blender so the skins become part of the sauce.

Slow Cooker Applesauce

This nicely tarted up applesauce comes from the brand new Canadian Living/The Slow Cooker Collection, Transcontinental Books, $22.95. But again, nothing could be simpler than putting the ingredients in the slow cooker and buzzing off for a few hours of fun...work or errands. 

8 cups (2L) sliced peeled and cored apples

1/2 cup (125 mL) packed brown sugar

1/4 cup (50 mL) apple cider or juice

1 strip lemon rind

2 tbsp (30 mL) lemon juice

Pinch each cinnamon and nutmeg, optional

. In slow cooker, gently toss together the apples, sugar, cider, lemon rind and juice.

. Cover and cook on low until apples are tender and break down, about 6 to 8 hours. Discard lemon rind.

. Using an immersion blender or potato masher, puree or mash apples to the desired texture. Stir in cinnamon and nutmeg, if using. (Make-ahead: Let cool. Refrigerate in airtight container for up to 3 days or freeze for up to 1 month.)

. Makes 4 cups (1 L)

Preserving Applesauce

. Freezing Applesauce: The simplest way is to pack cooled applesauce into freezer containers, bags or rigid. Mark "applesauce" on the container, the date of production and the amount. I don't know about you, but it's so easy to forget what's in the containers. (The freezer seems to wave a wand of sameness over the containers.)You will bless yourself when you go to look for the applesauce and can find it easily. Pack it away in amounts that suit your household needs, especially if you're planning to use the sauce as an ingredient.

. Canning Applesauce: To preserve in jars (funny how the word canning is still  used even though jars have replaced cans for home preserving), pack piping hot applesauce into hot preserving 1 or 2 cup  250 or 500 mL) jars leaving 1/2-inch (1.25 cm) headspace. Seal with new discs you've softened for a few minutes in hot water, and bands tightened until resistance is met, then to fingertip tightness. Place in the rack of a boiling water canner about 2/3 full of very hot water. Add boiling water if necessary to cover the jars by 1-inch (2.5 cm). Cover and bring to the boil; boil for 20 minutes. Turn off the heat and uncover until boiling subsides. Using canning tongs, lift out and set on a rack to cool for a day. Check that the seals have flipped downward before storing in a cool dark spot.Refrigerate and eat up any that haven't sealed properly within a week. If you respect the headspace, new lids and good preserving jars rules, all your jars should seal properly. 

What To Do With Applesauce

. Eat it for breakfast, either half and half with plain or vanilla yogurt, or to top a bowl of oatmeal or granola. Spoon over pancakes.

. Treat it as a snack for after school with cinnamon toast.

. Spoon applesauce into bowls and top with frozen vanilla yogurt for a quickie weeknight dessert.

. Pack it for lunch - for adults and kids in a reusable container.

. Serve it with latkes for Hannukah.

. Moisten and flavour stuffing - add a cup of thick applesauce to stuffing for a turkey, alongside, of course, the usual onions, celery, herbs and cubed bread.

. Make Apple Fool,  a 5-minute mini dessert:  If your smooth applesauce is unsweetened, or only somewhat sweet, stir in 1 to 2 tbsp. (15 to 30 mL) liquid honey into a cup of applesauce. Whip 3/4 cup (175 mL) 35% cream. Layer applesauce and cream in demi-tasse cups or small glasses, finishing with cream. Dust with cinnamon or nutmeg, or top with toasted sliced almonds. Makes 3 to 4 desserts.

. Count on applesauce to go with grilled pork chops, lusty sausages, crispy roast pork loin and tenderloin. Delicious with goose and duck too.

. Mix into pureed rutabaga to temper the rutabaga's bitter edge.  Or stir into pureed parsnips or sweet potatoes to add another dimension to the vegetable. 

. Preserve applesauce either processed in jars (see above) or in plastic freezer containers in handy 1 cup (250 mL) amounts. Then you have applesauce handy for Applesauce Raisin Loaf, Applesauce Muffins and much more. Even a fancy French Charlotte.

Glazed Applesauce Loaf

The recipe is slightly adapted from Judith Comfort and Katherine Chute's Apples, Apples, Apples published by Doubleday in 1986 - still one of the best books on the fruit. 

1/2 cup (125 mL) butter, softened

1 cup (250 mL) granulated sugar

2 large eggs at room temperature

1-3/4 cups (425 mL) all-purpose flour

1 tsp (5 mL) baking powder

1/2 tsp (2 mL) baking soda

1/2 tsp (2 mL) each salt, ground cinnamon and nutmeg

1/4 tsp (1 mL) ground cloves

1 cup (250 mL) applesauce, unsweetened preferred

1/2 cup (125 mL) walnut halves, chopped

1/2 cup (125 mL) raisins or dried cranberries

Glaze:

1/2 cup (125 mL) icing sugar

1 tbsp (15 mL) apple juice or milk

. Line a 9 -x 5-inch (2 L) loaf pan with parchment paper - 2 layers are best, or grease; set aside.

. In a large bowl, beat the butter and sugar until well blended and light. Beat in the eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each.

. In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves. Add to the butter mixture in 2 additions, alternating with 1 addition of the applesauce.  

. When the last addition of the dry ingredients is almost incorporated, sprinkle the surface with the walnuts and raisins. Mix just until the ingredients are combined.

. Scrape into the prepared pan, spreading the batter evenly. Tap the pan lightly on the counter. 

. Bake in the centre of a 350°F (180°C) oven until a cake tester inserted into the centre comes out clean, about 50 to 60 minutes. 

. Let cool in pan on rack for 15 minutes. Turn out onto a rack, using a second rack or a small rimless baking sheet to turn the loaf upright and to slide it back onto the rack, top up. 

. Glaze: In a small bowl, stir together the icing sugar and juice. For a clear glaze,  brush the glaze over the loaf while the loaf is warm , or for an opaque glaze, drizzle over a cool loaf. 

. Makes about 10 to 12 slices. 

Make-ahead Tip: The loaf freezes well thoroughly cooled and without the glaze. Freeze either the entire loaf, sections or slices that suit your household's needs. Wrap the pieces using quality plastic wrap and enclose in a freezer container or bag. The loaf also stores well at room temperature. Wrap or enclose in an airtight container, sneaking the odd little slice to test for mellowness and keeping qualities. 

Applesauce Muffins

This is an easy bake recipe, ideal for kids interested in helping make school lunches or make-ahead breakfast items.

2 cups (500 mL) all-purpose flour

3/4 cup (175 mL) granulated sugar

2 tsp (10 mL) baking powder

1/2 tsp (2 mL) baking soda

1/2 tsp (2 mL) ground cinnamon, optional

1/4 tsp (1 mL) salt

1 large egg 

1 cup (250 mL) applesauce, unsweetened preferred

1/3 cup (75 mL) canola oil

1/2 cup (125 mL) diced peeled and cored apple

1/2 cup (125 mL) chopped walnut halves

Cinnamon Crunch Topping:

4 tsp (20 mL) granulated sugar

1/2 tsp (2 mL) ground cinnamon

. Line 12 muffin cups with paper liners or grease; set aside.

. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda , cinnamon, if using, and salt.

. In a separate bowl, whisk together the egg, applesauce and oil. Pour over the dry ingredients. Sprinkle the diced apple and walnuts over the wet ingredients and with a wooden spoon, swiftly and neatly stir the ingredients until just blended.

. Scoop into the prepared muffin tins.

. . Cinnamon Crunch Topping: Stir together the sugar and cinnamon. Spoon a generous 1/4 tsp (1 mL) over each scoop of muffin batter.

. Bake in the centre of a 375°F (190°C) oven until domed, firm to the touch and fragrant, about 20 minutes.

. Let cool in pans on rack for about 5 minutes; remove from pans to cool on a rack. (Make-ahead: Let cool; store in airtight container for up to 3 days. Or wrap in quality plastic wrap, then enclose in a freezer container. Freeze for up to 2 weeks.)

. Makes 12 muffins. 

Ketchup aux Fruits

In Quebec, one of the most beloved relishes is Ketchup aux Fruits. Not smooth nor nearly as red as commercial burger-topping ketchup, Ketchup aux Fruits is more like chili sauce - only with late summer fruits in partnership with tomatoes. It's the sauce every grandmother made, each with her own little variation on the tomato, peach, pear, apple, celery and onion theme.

Ketchup aux Fruits is not the only artisanal fruit product at the market in Quebec City.

Just how a relish that calls for peaches, not a commercial crop in Quebec, came to be so much part of a Quebec culinary repertoire is a mystery. But how good it tastes with tourtiere is no mystery - it's sweet and tangy, with a touch of spice providing a perfect foil to rich pastry and meaty filling.

The other place where Ketchup aux Fruits or Fruit Chili Sauce is a tradition is southern Ontario, a part of the country where peaches from the Niagara are an every summer experience. In both places, visible chunks of fruit are part of the relish's charm. Given that recipes for Fruit Chili Sauce have been being published for decades, it's no surprise to now find this bicultural bilingual recipe shared across Canada.

Here's the recipe that make me think of the jars in my grandmother's fruit cellar on a farm near Mitchell Ontario. The Quebec counterpart may have included celery for texture, possibly using white vinegar and brown sugar. Some even fiddled with the fruit, using plums to replace some of the peaches.  But it all ended up as Ketchup aux Fruits or a good Fruit Chili Sauce.

Ketchup aux Fruits (Fruit Chili Sauce)

8 cup (2 L) peeled chopped ripe tomatoes

2-1/2 cups (625 mL) peeled diced onions

2 cups (500 mL) peeled, pitted and diced peaches or pitted diced  nectarines

2 cups (500 mL) peeled cored and diced pears or apples

3/4 cup (175 mL) seeded diced sweet red pepper

2 cups (500 mL) cider vinegar

1-1/2 cups (375 mL) granulated sugar

2 tsp (10 mL) salt, regular or sea salt

1/4 cup (50 mL) mixed pickling spice

.  In a large heavy-bottomed Dutch oven, stir together the tomatoes, onions, peaches, pears and sweet pepper. Stir in the vinegar, granulated sugar and salt. Tie the mixed pickling spice in a 6-inch (25 cm) double thickness square of cheesecloth. Nestle in the pan. 

. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring often. Reduce heat and simmer, stirring often, until thick, the chunks are tender and the liquid is no longer watery, about 1-1/2 hours. Remove the spice bag, pressing its juices back into the pan. 

A wide relatively shallow Dutch oven is perfect for cooking relishes, especially it it's like this one with a thick cast aluminum pad under its bottom.

This is a satisfying thickness. The Ketchup aux Fruits (Fruit Chili Sauce) has boiled down to about two-thirds of its initial volume.

. Pour into prepared 1-cup or 2-cup (250 or 500 mL) preserving jars, leaving 1/2-inch (2 cm) headspace. Seal with prepared discs, and bands. Boil in boiling water canner for 20 minutes. (See Canning Basics below). 

. Makes about 9 cups (2.25 L) Ketchup aux Fruits (Fruit Chili Sauce).

Canning Basics: 

. Ensure that you have enough preserving jars in perfect condition. Wash, rinse and air dry. 

. Always use new lids. Place in a bowl and five minutes before filling jars, cover the lids with hot, not boiling water to soften the sealing compound. 

. Before starting to cook the Ketchup aux Fruits, fill a boiling water canner about two-thirds full; add the preserving jars, letting them fill with water. Cover and start to heat about 30 minutes before preserve is ready to jar. 

. Using canning tongs, move the jars from the canner to a tray beside the stovetop. Increase heat under the canner to bring the water closer to the boil while filling the jars. 

. Using a funnel and a 1/2 cup (125 mL) metal dry measuring cup, fill the jars to within 1/2-inch (1.25 cm) of the top. If you've used the funnel and scoop chances are there won't be any salsa on the rim of the jars. Or, not much. But inevitably, some will slop over; wipe any off using damp paper towel.

This method of filling jars is so much neater than using a ladle, or filling a big pitcher and pouring into the jars.

. Place the prepared discs on the jars, and with a firm but not forced motion, screw on the bands until resistance is met, then tighten just to finger-tip tight. Note the lids in the red bowl in the background. They are covered with hot water.

Canning tongs in action, gripping the jar and its hot contents safely.

. Use canning tongs to transfer the filled jars safely to the rack in the canner. Lower rack into the water. Add more boiling water  if necessary so that the jars are covered by 1 inch (2.5 cm).

. Cover the canner; bring the water to a vigorous boil. Time the boiling from this point. 

. At the end of the boiling time, turn off the heat. Remove the cover and let the boiling subside. Lift the rack and with canning tongs, transfer the jars to a rack or folded thick towel.

. Let stand for a day; wipe, label and check each jar. Properly sealed jars have lids that have curved down. Jars with lids that didn't snap down need to be refrigerated and relished within 3 weeks. But before you think you'll lose half your preserves, note that if you have used new lids, real preserving jars and respected the headspace and sealing gospel given above, it will be extremely rare that a jar doesn't seal properly. 

Almost any early fall fruit or fruit combo makes a fine crisp - ideal for entertaining.

Every once in a while I get a desire for a certain dish.With cool nights and the first golden leaves falling to the sidewalk, my hungry thoughts turn to deep-dish crusty-topped fruit crisps. Kind of fruit is optional - I could never choose one I think is the best - it's a choice based on what's in season at the market -  in my fridge or on the counter.

It was with crisps on my mind when I was planning a shower to honour the daughter, Jennifer and new granddaughter, Lily, of my friend Sandy Hall. (She is the home economist who was so much part of my early cookbooks and recipe testing.) There were to be a dozen around the table for dinner last week and a crisp for dessert just fell naturally into place.

This dessert meets all the criteria of an entertaining dish - you can make it ahead. Simple - a crisp is simplicity itself - no complicated steps or sauces to worry about when you're making the appetizers and mains.  But what's most important is the taste. Even though humble, a crisp never fails to charm guests. People scrape their bowls, then look up, signalling that seconds wouldn't be out of the question. Good vanilla ice cream is de rigueur.

The crisp recipe I use as a guideline comes from The Complete Canadian Living Baking Book, published last year by Transcontinental Books and now in its second printing. I treat the recipe as a template, with substitutions an ongoing option for the filling. What's divine about this recipe is the topping. This is not a crumble with rolled oats, sugar, butter and flour forming soft layer over the fruit. A real crisp has plenty of the soft butter, sugar and flour mixture to create a crunchy roof over the fruit. 

Pear and Cranberry Crisp

With lovely looking Bartlett pears at the market, this crisp is right in season. Since pears are always harvested green and hard, it's wise to buy them ahead of time and let them ripen in a single layer at room temperature. Pears will need 4 to 5 days to change from green to gold and soften enough to give to a light pressure at the base.

Bartlett pears particularly will become maddenly fragrant. Be sure you can stand the temptation. A wise baker buys an extra pear, to satisfy that desire for a fresh pear out of hand, or in case the usual calculation - 1 large pear = 1 cup (250 mL) peeled, cored and sliced pears, falls a bit short. 

6 cups (1.5 L) sliced peeled and cored pears

2 cups (500 mL) fresh or frozen cranberries, halved

1/4 cup (50 mL) liquid honey

1 tbsp (15 mL) fresh lemon juice

2 tbsp (30 mL) all-purpose flour

Crisp Topping:

1 cup (250 mL) all-purpose flour

3/4 cup (175 mL) packed brown sugar

1/2 cup (125 mL) butter, softened

1/3 cup (75 mL) slivered almonds, optional

. Grease an 8-inch (2 L) squared glass baking dish or other shallow heatproof baking dish with the same capacity; set aside.

. In a large bowl, toss together the pears, cranberries, honey and lemon juice. Sprinkle the surface with flour; toss to coat the fruit evenly.

. Scrape the pear mixture evenly into the prepared baking dish; set aside.

. Crisp Topping: In a separate bowl, blend the flour and brown sugar. Using a fork, mash in the butter until the topping is crumbly. Stir in the almonds, if using. Sprinkle evenly over the pear mixture.

. Bake on a rimmed baking sheet in the centre of a 350°F (180°C) oven until topping is golden brown, pears translucent and the filling bubbling up around the edges, about 1 hour.

. Set on a rack to cool enough to serve, about 45 minutes. (Make-ahead: Let cool completely. Set aside for up to 8 hours. Reheat gently before serving.) 

. Makes 6 servings. 

Apple Crisp

A Canadian classic. The early crop apples available at the market tend to be ones that break down and become saucy in a crisp. By all means, if you like this kind of crisp, go for these harbingers of the Canadian apple harvest. Cortlands, then Golden Delicious and finally Northern Spy are my picks for crisps - but almost any fresh apple will make a just-a-little-more kind of dessert. If you do use a sweeter apple like the Golden Delicious or Gala, up the lemon juice a little to compensate for their lack of pucker power. 

 Make according to the method above using the following filling ingredients: 8 cups (2 L) sliced, peeled and cored apples, 1/4 cup (50 mL) granulated sugar, 2 tbsp (30 mL) all-purpose flour, 1 tbsp (15 mL) fresh lemon juice and 1/2 tsp (2 mL) cinnamon or 1/4 tsp (1 mL) nutmeg. The topping remains the same, although you might like chopped walnut halves instead of the slivered almonds.

Baby Shower Fruit Crisp

Because juicy fruit crisps tend to run over the top of a baking dish, a wise baker sets the baking dish on a rimmed baking sheet to catch the drips.

For this dessert, I checked the fruit I had in the fruit basket  -lovely late season peaches, purple prune plums and ripe pears, plus, from the fridge, a combo of wild and cultivated blueberries.  They measured:  7 cups (1.75 L) sliced peaches, 5 cups (1.25 L) sliced plums and 2 cups (500 mL) each blueberries and chopped peeled pears. (All fruit is pitted or cored). I tossed the fruit with 1/2 cup (125 ml) granulated sugar mixed with 1/4 cup (50 mL) all-purpose flour, and 2 tbsp (30 mL) fresh lemon juice and scraped the mixture into a 14-inch (35 cm) oval baking or gratin dish.

For the topping I thought doubling the ingredients was a good idea, but even with my love of crunchy, I had to reduce the quantities to about 1-1/2 the original. So I measured out 1-1/2 cups (375 mL) all-purpose flour, 1-1/4 cups (300 mL) packed brown sugar and 3/4 cup (175 mL) soft butter. 

The crisp required about 1-1/2 hours baking time at 350°F (180°C), and for the first hour, I covered the top of the dish loosely with aluminum foil to prevent the crisp from over browning.

It served the dozen guests easily. Those who didn't have seconds requested take-home plastic containers of crisp for breakfast the next morning.  It's great with yogurt and you can almost imagine that it's healthy. 

For a nectarine and plum crisp, combine 4 cup (1 L) each pitted and sliced nectarines and plums with 1/3 cup (75 mL) packed brown sugar and 2 tbsp (30 mL) all-purpose flour. No need for lemon juice or spices. Use the same topping as for the Pear and Cranberry Crisp.

Jamming with Nicolette Novak is fun- not work.

I met Nicolette Novak during peach season about 20 years ago. Not an unusual time to meet a tender fruit farmer in the Niagara Peninsula, expecially one who bonded with me in two respects: a dual passion for preserving and baking, especially, fruit pies. The location of our rendez-vous? Nicolette's retail outlet along the Queen Elizabeth Highway where her business focused on baskets of ripe-picked local fruit, homemade fruit pies and preserves. 

 It was around preserving that we got together in mid August for a day of jamming. Nicolette's life has shifted in the last two decades. From fruit farmer, Nicolette has created a a whole new business based on her passion for where she grew up and lives - The Twenty area of the Peninsula, Beamsville being the major centre of this fruit and wine region. Her enterprise is called The Good Earth, and while its roots are cooking school and catering, with tutored taste travel, it now encompasses weddings, picnics in the orchard, a line of pantry products, notably preserves, apricot jam, for example, plus stocks and other cooking items you may not have time to make at home, take-away lunches, a model 3-season garden, vineyards and a winery. The Good Earth  has had an enormous role in nurturing young chefs in the region and bonding locally grown food to the ever-growing wine industry. 

The Good Earth operates year round in a large airy and country-smart compact new"barn", appropriately set in the Novac orchards. Early on Nicolette built an outdoor barbecue area where her teaching chefs, notably pit boss Mike McColl conduct classes all-good-weather-long. I recommend that you check out www.goodearthcooking. com for a list of the upcoming special events and fall classes with resident chefs Isa DiIorio and Patrick Engel plus a sprinkling of local chefs. Soon Nicolette will be posting news about her new winery.

But back to that morning in August when I arrived to find a flat of just-picked apricots waiting our time, knive and long wooden spoons.

The Good Earth Apricot Jam 

Apricot jam just happens to be about my most favourite jam - not that I grew up with it. I was smitten years ago as a grad student, my first day in Paris, when breakfast in the tiny oh-so-chic hotel (I was easily awestruck - it was my first trip abroad) consisted of a big bowl of strong coffee and hot milk, a crackling length of baguette with sweet butter...and apricot jam. Hard not to think of Paris without my mind slipping into reveries of apricot jam. 

For a chunky apricot jam, start with halved or quartered apricots, depending on the size of the apricots, and look for apricots clearly on the firm side.

Nicolette's Apricot Jam is suitably Paris-style  soft set - not like most of the commercial apricots jams set firm enough to slice. Her jam is meant to drool over a slice of toast, buttered baguette, croissant or hot scone. The ratio is basically 4 parts prepared fruit to 3 parts sugar. Add some water to help soften the fruit, and lemon juice for tang and set, and you're jamming.

The fastest way to measure out ingredients is with a small scale.

4 lb (2 kg) washed, quartered and pitted apricots

3 lb (1.5 kg) granulated sugar

1 cup (250 mL) water

1/4 cup (50 mL) lemon juice

. Wash and air-dry 15 (1 cup/250 mL) canning jars with new lids. Set out all canning equipement: tongs: funnel: metal 1/2 cup (125 mL) measuring cup. Fill a boiling water canner about 2/3 full of water. Arrange canning jars on rack; cover and set over low heat to warm to steaming. Set 2 small plates in the freezer. Place new lids in a heatproof bowl; cover with hot water a few minutes before filling jars with jam. Do not boil lids or bands.

. In a large preserving pan or Dutch oven, stir together the apricots, sugar and water.

This flared, heavy-bottomed preserving pan is from Lee Valley.

. Set over high heat and stirring constantly, bring to a rapid foamy boil. Add the lemon juice. Boil hard until the seething mass is reduced by a generous quarter, apricots begin to soften and break down, and syrup surrounding them thickens, about 15 minutes for this quanitity of fruit.

The Queen of Jam wills the apricot jam to set. Note how vigorously the jam is boiling and how important it is to use long-handled wooden spoon to stir the jam. It keeps your hands and arms away from molten spatters.

. Nicolette is such a pro at jamming that she doesn't need the Wrinkle Test*, but if you aren't as experienced as she, check out the information below. Instead, as the jam cleared, we both listened for the now big bubbles to crack and pop as she stirred, indicating that the liquid had thickened as it reduced. We also did another witch-over-the-cauldron-style test: we stirred the jam with a long wooden spoon, then held the spoon high above the pan, parallel to the pan and watched the jam drop off the spoon back into the pan. Early on the jam flowed off quickly, then it started to hesitate, finally hung in a single drop from the bottom side of the spoon. At that point the jam was done.

. Remove from heat; skim off any foam and let settle for about 5 minutes, stirring.

. Using the funnel and metal measuring cup, fill the hot jars with jam to 1/4-inch (5 mm) from the top. With a damp paper towel, wipe any jam slopped over the rim. Cover with lids and bands, screwing on bands until you meet resistance, then tighten just a tad more to finger-tip tight. 

.Using preserving tongs, set as many filled jars as will fit onto rack in boiling water canner; lower rack. Add boiling water if necessary to bring water level at least 1-inch (2.5 cm) above tops of jars. Cover and bring to boil.

. Boil for 10 minutes. Remove from heat; uncover canner. Let boiling water settle for 5 minutes. With preserving tongs  transfer jars to a rack or folded towel to cool. Repeat boiling any jars that didn't fit into the boiling water canner the first time round. 

. Do the usual wipe, label and storage in a cool dark place until the morning when you want to bathe your breakfast in a touch of Niagara summer - or a memory of Paris. The cafe au lait, crusty baguette and sweet butter are optional, but recommended. 

. Makes about 14 jars, 1 cup (250 mL), of jam. 

Tip: Nicolette used very snazzy preserving jar with a single-piece lid. All of her jars sealed to perfection. If by chance any of your canning jars with the two piece disc and band don't pop and seal, store that jar in the fridge and enjoy its contents within about 3 weeks. 

* Wrinkle Test: set two small plates in the freezer when you're assembling your jars and equipment. When a preserve has been boiling and from the pull on the spoon feels as though it's thickening, do a test with one of the plates. Remove the preserve from the heat. Dribble about 1/2 tsp (2 mL) preserve on the plate; let the preserve on the plate cool, about 2 minutes. Run the tip of a spoon through the preserve; if the surface wrinkles, the preserve is set. If the dribble is runny, return the plate to the freezer and panful of preserve to the heat. Boil hard, stirring constantly until the preserve on the colder plates of the 2 plates wrinkles. 

Peach Conserve

There is a little problem with apricot jam - the season is short, and alas, fresh apricots may not still  be available. You may have to wait until next summer to make a batch of Nicolette's Good Earth Apricot Jam. Peaches to the rescue, in a heritage recipe  that like apricots, makes a very soft-set preserve. The word "conserve" in the title of a preserve indicates a jam-like preserve with citrus fruit. There are sometimes spices as well, but not in this conserve. The original peach conserve recipe  I found hand written by my aunt Bessie Babb of Sebringville, Ontario, included maraschino cherries - and even though I don't usually include them, I've offered them as an option - in her honour. 

2 medium navel oranges, Cara Cara if available

1 large lemon

2 cups (500 mL) water, approximate

8 cups (2 L) coarsely chopped peeled and pitted peaches, about 9 large peaches that fit into a 3 L basket, or about 4 lb (2 kg)

6 cups (1.5 L) granulated sugar

Optional additions: 1/2 cup (125 ml) slivered maraschino cherries and/or 3/4 cup (175 mL) slivered blanched almonds

. Wash and air-dry 9 (1 cup/250 mL) canning jars with new lids. Set out all canning equipement: tongs: funnel: metal 1/2 cup (125 mL) measuring cup. Place 2 small plates in the freezer. Fill a boiling water canner about 2/3 full of water. Arrange canning jars on rack; cover and set over low heat to warm to steaming. Place new lids in a heatproof bowl; cover with hot water a few minutes before filling jars with jam. Do not boil lids or bands.

. Scrub oranges and lemon. Cut our stem and blossom ends, and any blemishes. Cut oranges in quarters; slice crosswise very thinly, discarding any seeds. Pare off lemon rind: cut into very thin strips about 1-inch (2.5 cm) long. Squeeze lemon to make about 1/4 cup (50 mL) juice. Set juice aside.

. Place orange slices, lemon rind strips, squeezed lemon halves and water in a Dutch oven. Cover and bring to a very low simmer. Cook the citrus fruit, stirring occasionally, until rinds are very tender, almost mushy when pinched, about 55 minutes. Watch carefull and add more water if necessary to keep the rinds steeping in water. When finished, there should be a shallow pool of water keeping the rinds juicy. Remove the squeezed lemon rinds. Let them cool enough to squeeze any liquid  back into the cooked rinds. 

. Stir in the peaches, sugar and lemon juice. Bring to a full rolling boil over high heat, stirring constantly; boil hard until conserve is reduced by a generous quarter, about 20 minutes. 

. Remove conserve from heat; let cool slightly. Either whiz about a third of the conserve with an immersion blender ( a Nicolette Novak trick to give body to soft-set preserves) or scoop out 3 cups (750 mL) of the conserve and puree in a blender. Return pureed conserve to pot. Add cherries and/or almonds, if using.

. Bring back to boil, reduce heat to medium and continue cooking and stirring constantly until thickened and setting point is reached, about 10 minutes.

. Remove from heat;  let settle for about 5 minutes, stirring.

. Using the funnel and metal measuring cup, fill the hot jars to 1/4-inch (5 mm) from the top. With a damp paper towel, wipe any jam slopped over the rim. Cover with lids and bands, screwing on bands until you meet resistance, then tighten just a tad more to finger-tip tight. 

.Using preserving tongs, set as many filled jars as will fit onto rack in boiling water canner; lower rack. Add boiling water if necessary to bring water level at least 1-inch (2.5 cm) above tops of jars. Cover and bring to boil.

. Boil for 10 minutes. Remove from heat; uncover canner. Let boiling water settle for 5 minutes. With preserving tongs  transfer jars to a rack or folded towel to cool. Repeat boiling any jars that didn't fit into the boiling water canner the first time round. 

. Do the usual wipe, label and storage in a cool dark place.

. Makes about 8 jars, 1 cup (250 mL), of jam. 

Because some of the conserve was pureed, the spread has a very pleasing thickness. It is almost sauce-like.

Tip: This conserve, while lovely in all jam uses, is also quite a nice topping for rice pudding, ice cream, vanilla pots de creme, mascarpone cheese or drained yogurt.