DO AHEAD: Can be made 1 day ahead. Cool completely. Store in airtight container at room temperature.
STRAWBERRY COULIS: Puree berries and sugar in processor until smooth.
VANILLA CREAM: Combine cream and sugar in medium bowl. Scrape in seeds from vanilla bean (reserve bean for another use). Using electric mixer, beat cream until soft peaks form.
DO AHEAD: Coulis and vanilla cream can be made 6 hours ahead. Cover separately and chill.
Place small dollop of vanilla cream in center of each of 6 plates. Spoon circle of strawberry coulis around vanilla cream. Top each with 1 meringue. Spoon generous amount of vanilla cream atop meringues. Top with sliced strawberries and fresh basil leaves. Drizzle basil syrup over and serve.Technique Tip: Make It EasyThis recipe may look ambitious, but each simple element can be prepared in advance: The basil syrup should be made a day ahead to really bring out the flavors, and the meringue can be made a day ahead as well. The strawberry coulis and the vanilla cream can be made up to six hours before being served.
This extraordinary dessert is both sweet and savory: Pear halves are cooked in a butter-honey caramel sauce, then topped with artisanal cheese and sea salt-dusted pine nuts bathed in caramel. Any variety of pears can be used in this recipe, but Bosc pears hold up especially well because of their firm texture. You can use whatever artisanal cheese you like, such as Point Reyes Original Blue, Humboldt Fog, dry Monterey Jack, sheep’s-milk ricotta, tangy soft fresh goat cheese, or another local cheese. Head to your local farmers’ market or a well-stocked cheese shop and get some good recommendations (and, ideally, a few tastes) from a knowledgeable cheesemonger. 6 servings
¼ cup (½ stick) unsalted butter
3 firm but ripe Bosc pears or other pears, peeled, halved lengthwise, cored
3½ tablespoons mild honey (such as orange blossom or clover)
4 ounces artisanal cheese, sliced or crumbled, room temperature
3 tablespoons pine nutsPinch of fine sea salt
Cook butter in large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until beginning to brown. Add pear halves, cut side down, to skillet. Drizzle honey over pears and swirl pan slightly to blend butter and honey. Reduce heat to medium, cover, and cook until pears are tender when pierced with paring knife, swirling skillet occasionally and adding a few tablespoons water to skillet if caramel sauce turns deep amber before pears are tender, about 12 minutes.
Transfer pears, cut side up, to serving platter. Top pears with cheese. Return skillet with caramel sauce to medium-high heat; add pine nuts and sprinkle lightly with sea salt. Cook until sauce in skillet is brown and bubbling, about 2 minutes. Spoon sauce and nuts over pears and serve.
A little heat and sugar is all that’s needed to get the plum juices flowing in this simple dessert, and a touch of cinnamon adds nice spice. Begin making the honey cream at least six hours ahead, since it takes time to thicken. Try any extra with oatmeal, waffles, or fresh fruit. 4 servings
1½ cups half and half
3 tablespoons low-fat (2%) buttermilk
3 tablespoons honey
2 pounds ripe plums, halved, pitted, cut into ¾-inch-thick wedges
½ cup sugar
½ teaspoon (scant) ground cinnamon
Whisk half and half, buttermilk, and honey in medium glass bowl to blend. Let stand, uncovered, in warm place until thick, at least 6 hours or overnight. Chill until ready to serve.
DO AHEAD: Can be made 1 week ahead. Keep chilled.
Heat large skillet over medium-high heat. Add plums and sugar; stir until sugar dissolves and forms glaze and plums are tender, about 8 minutes. Sprinkle cinnamon over plums. Spoon into bowls. Pour honey cream over.
This dessert is truly elegant, yet it couldn’t be easier to make. Honey, brown sugar, lemon, and ginger coat the pears as they bake, then melt into a warm, delicious sauce. 8 servingsNonstick vegetable oil spray
8 firm but ripe Bartlett pears, peeled, halved, cored
1 cup (packed) golden brown sugar
3 teaspoons ground ginger
6 tablespoons honey
3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
2 teaspoons finely grated lemon peel
10 tablespoons (1¼ sticks) unsalted butter, dividedVanilla frozen yogurt or vanilla ice creamFresh mint sprigs (optional)Lemon peel strips (optional)
Preheat oven to 375°F. Spray 2 large ovenproof skillets with nonstick spray. Arrange half of pears, cut side down, in each skillet. Sprinkle ½ cup brown sugar and 1½ teaspoons ginger over pears in each skillet. Mix honey, lemon juice, and grated lemon peel in small bowl. Drizzle over pears in each skillet, dividing equally. Dot pears with 6 tablespoons butter total.
Place skillets with pears in oven and bake until juices bubble thickly and pears are tender when pierced with small sharp knife, basting occasionally, about 15 minutes. Turn pears over. Bake 5 minutes longer. Remove pears from oven.
DO AHEAD: Can be made 1 day ahead. Cool. Transfer pears and cooking syrup to large glass baking dish; cover and chill. Rewarm uncovered in 375°F oven 15 minutes before continuing.
Arrange 2 pear halves on each of 8 plates. Transfer cooking syrup to 1 large skillet. Bring syrup to simmer; whisk in remaining 4 tablespoons butter. Spoon over pears. Place 1 scoop frozen yogurt or ice cream alongside. Garnish with mint and lemon peel strips, if desired.Technique Tip: Into the FireYou’ll need two large ovenproof skillets for this dessert, such as cast-iron skillets or stainless steel sauté pans with metal handles that won’t burn under extreme heat. Plastic handles could melt and wooden handles could burn. Remember to use oven mitts or thick potholders to remove the skillets from the oven, as the handles get extremely hot.
Eating baked stuffed apples is like opening a gift: It’s fun to find out what goodies are hidden inside. Spiced pecans, raisins, and coconut fill these apples, and as they bake, maple syrup, butter, and apple juice form a luscious pan sauce. The apples are great served with vanilla ice cream. 6 servings
6 large Golden Delicious apples (about 3½ pounds)
⅔ cup plus 6 tablespoons coarsely chopped pecans
⅓ cup golden raisins
¼ cup sweetened flaked coconut