Cooking Apples and Oranges

Although the variety of fruits available this time of year doesn’t begin to compare with summer’s bounty, many supermarkets still stock an amazing assortment. Faced with out-of-season peaches, nectarines and cherries, I find myself leaning toward traditional winter fruits--oranges, pineapples, bananas and Granny Smith apples.

It’s easy to use these fruits in homey, comforting desserts. Pecan-encrusted Upside-Down Apple Pie is as elegant and delicious as any dessert could be. (As with all fruit pies, it’s best the day it is baked.)

The Old-Fashioned Banana Streusel Cake is topped with a thin streusel crunch--a perfect union of textures. Because there’s no frosting, it can be served as a coffeecake as well as an after-meal dessert. And for a simple, refreshing fresh-fruit dessert, nothing beats Sliced Oranges and Bananas in Orange Port Sauce.

UPSIDE-DOWN

APPLE PIE

1/3 cup unsalted butter or margarine, softened but not melted

1 1/2 to 1 3/4 cups large pecan halves

1/2 cup brown sugar, packed

Pastry for 2-crust (9-inch) deep-dish pies

6 large (about 3 1/4 pounds) Granny Smith apples, peeled and thinly sliced

1 tablespoon lemon juice

1 tablespoon flour

1/2 cup sugar

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg

Salt

2 tablespoons unsalted butter or margarine, cut into small bits

Vanilla ice cream or creme fraiche, optional

Spread softened butter evenly over bottom and sides of 9-inch deep-dish pie pan. Arrange pecans, rounded side down, starting at center of pan bottom and working up to 1 row on sides, pressing them into butter. Sprinkle brown sugar evenly over pecans. Place pastry crust carefully over pecan mixture and gently press into place.

Toss apples in large bowl with lemon juice. Combine flour, sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt. Add to apples and toss until combined. Place apple slices in pastry crust, mounding them in center. Dot surface with 2 tablespoons butter bits. Cover with other pastry crust. Fold top edge of crust over edge of bottom crust. Press gently to seal edges. Raise edge slightly up from edge of pan. Decoratively pierce or slash crust for steam to escape. Place pan on baking tray for easy handling.

Bake in center of oven at 400 degrees or until well browned, about 60 minutes. (Test for doneness by piercing crust with point of small knife. If apples seem firm, bake pie longer, using foil to protect any very dark areas on crust.)

Remove from oven and let pie rest at room temperature 5 minutes. Invert onto serving plate. (As pie settles, outer crust may crack and have to be pressed back into shape.) Serve warm or at room temperature with vanilla ice cream or creme fraiche. Makes 1 (9-inch) deep-dish pie.

Note: Pillsbury All-Ready pie crust, available in supermarket refrigerator case is a good shortcut.

SLICED ORANGES

AND BANANAS

IN ORANGE-PORT

SAUCE

2 tablespoons sugar

1 cup fresh orange juice

1/4 cup ruby Port wine

Grated zest of 1 orange

3 large navel oranges, rind and pith cut away, cut into 1/3-inch slices

1 large banana, thinly sliced

Heat sugar and orange juice in 2-quart saucepan over medium-high heat (juice will boil up). Stir to combine. Boil, uncovered, until much deeper orange but not brown or caramelized, and reduced to about 1/4 cup, about 10 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool completely. Combine with Port. (Sauce can be made 3 days ahead and refrigerated.)

Combine grated zest and orange slices in sauce. Just before serving, add banana slices and serve chilled. Makes 4 servings.

Baking the streusel right on the cake precludes the need for frosting. Just be sure to use very ripe bananas. To preserve the fresh banana flavor and soft texture of this cake, freeze it the day it is baked, after it’s completely cooled.

OLD-FASHIONED

BANANA STREUSEL

CAKE

1/2 cup unsalted butter or margarine, softened

1 1/4 cups plus 2 tablespoons sugar

2 large eggs

2 teaspoons vanilla

1/3 cup buttermilk

1 1/2 cups pureed ripe banana (about 3 large ripe bananas)

1 3/4 cups cake flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

Streusel Topping

Cream butter and sugar in mixer until light and fluffy. Add eggs and beat until it flows easily, about 3 minutes. Add vanilla, buttermilk and banana, mix well to combine. Sift flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Add gradually to batter, mixing until very smooth.

Grease 9-inch square pan, then coat lightly with flour, tapping out any excess. Transfer batter to pan, smooth surface with spatula and sprinkle Streusel Topping evenly over surface.

Bake in center of oven at 350 degrees until medium brown and wood pick inserted in center comes out clean, about 45 minutes. Let cool at least 30 minutes before serving. Makes 1 (9-inch) cake.

Streusel Topping

1/4 cup unsalted butter or margarine, cut in tablespoon-size pieces

1/2 cup cake flour

1/3 cup sugar

2 tablespoons light brown sugar

Dash salt

Combine flour, sugar, brown sugar and salt in bowl. Cut in butter until size of tiny peas. Use food processor or pastry blender.