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Two 4-inch cinnamon sticks

4 whole cloves

½ cup peach nectar

8 large large peaches, peeled, halved, and pitted

combine the brandy, butter, sugar, cinnamon sticks, cloves, and nectar in the insert of a 5- to 7-quart slow cooker and stir to dissolve the sugar. Add the peaches to the slow-cooker insert and turn to coat them with the syrup.

cover and cook on high for 2 hours. Allow the peaches to cool slightly. Using a slotted spoon, remove the spices from the sauce.

serve the peaches with the sauce poured over.

serves 8

Crock-Baked Apples

Soft, tender baked apples are nostalgia food from the nursery, but there is no need any longer to crank up the oven to make these. They are simple to load into the slow cooker, and then simmered low and slow until they are tender and delicious. This version stuffs the apples with a mixture of walnuts and golden raisins flavored with cinnamon and rum.

8 medium apples (see savvy)

½ cup golden raisins

½ cup finely chopped walnuts

1 cup firmly packed light brown sugar

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

2 tablespoons dark rum

4 tablespoons (½ stick) unsalted butter, melted and slightly cooled

1½ cups apple juice or apple cider

Unsweetened whipped cream for garnishing

Cinnamon sugar for garnishing

core the apples. Place them in the insert of a 5- to 7-quart slow cooker. Stir together the raisins, walnuts, sugar, cinnamon, rum, and butter in a mixing bowl and fill the apples with the mixture. Pour the apple juice into the bottom of the slow-cooker insert. Cover and cook on low for 2½ to 3 hours on high, until the apples are tender.

remove the apples using a spatula to catch any filling that may fall out of the bottom of the apple.

serve the apples with some of the sauce from the bottom of the slow cooker and a dollop of whipped cream, sprinkled with cinnamon sugar.

serves 8

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apple savvy

This preparation works with any apple; my favorites are Granny Smith, Gala, Fuji, Braeburn, and Rome.

Amaretto Poached Pears

When amaretto, brown sugar, and pears are cooked together, the pears are infused with a caramelized almond flavor. A sprinkling of crushed amaretti cookies and chopped toasted almonds completes this delicious dessert. Serve warm or at room temperature. Refrigerate any leftover pears and syrup for up to three days.

½ cup amaretto liqueur

1 cup pear nectar

1½ cups firmly packed light brown sugar

½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted

6 firm red pears, peeled and cored (see savvy)

½ cup crushed amaretti cookies (about 6)

½ cup chopped almonds, toasted

combine the amaretto, nectar, sugar, and butter in the insert of a 5- to 7-quart slow cooker and stir until the sugar is dissolved. Stand the pears in the liquid, stem-ends up. Cover and cook on low for 4 hours until the pears are tender.

combine the cookie crumbs and almonds in a small bowl and set aside. Uncover the pears and allow to cool.

serve each pear in a pool of the sauce and sprinkled with some of the almond mixture.

serves 6–8

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pear savvy

The easiest way to core the pears is to use a melon baller and go up through the bottom of the pear.

Red Wine Poached Pears with Stilton

The slow cooker takes very good care of pears in this dessert, poaching them in red wine and spices, to pair with tangy Stilton, an English blue cheese. Make sure the pears are not soft but rather under-ripe, otherwise they will fall apart in the slow cooker.

1 cup full-bodied red wine

1 cup Ruby Port

1½ cups firmly packed light brown sugar

One 4-inch cinnamon stick

6 large firm red pears, halved and cored

6 ounces Stilton cheese, at room temperature

combine the wine, port, brown sugar, and cinnamon stick in the insert of a 5- to 7-quart slow cooker. Add the pears to the slow-cooker insert, arranging them in layers, and spoon some of the sauce over the pears.

cover and cook on high for 2 to 2½ hours, until the pears are softened. Uncover the slow cooker and allow the pears to cool to room temperature. Carefully remove them from the cooker and