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candied lemon zest

MAKES ABOUT ½ CUP

3 lemons

1 cup sugar

½ cup water

Zest the lemons with a vegetable peeler into long strips. Remove the pith; cut the strips into fine julienne. Bring the sugar and water to a boil in a small saucepan, stirring to dissolve the sugar. Add the zest; boil 5 minutes. Cover, and remove from heat; let cool. Strain off the syrup before using. The zest can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator up to 2 weeks.

baked apricots with almond topping

SERVES 4

4½ teaspoons unsalted butter, softened, plus more for the dish

¼ cup whole almonds, skin on

3 tablespoons packed light-brown sugar

6 apricots, peeled, halved, and pitted

1. Preheat the oven to 400°F. Butter a 9-inch-square baking dish. Process the almonds and brown sugar in a food processor until the almonds are finely chopped. Add the butter; process until just combined.

2. Place the apricot halves, cut sides up, in the buttered baking dish. Cover the top of each apricot half with almond mixture. Bake until the apricots are soft and the almond mixture is deep golden brown, 15 to 20 minutes. Transfer 3 apricot halves to each serving plate. Serve warm.

grilled peaches with chilled sabayon

SERVES 4

Sabayon is the French term for zabaglione, a frothy Italian concoction that can be served warm as a sauce or chilled as a creamy dessert on its own. We added a bit of peach-flavored liqueur to enhance the flavor of the fruit, but the sabayon is just as delicious without.

5 large egg yolks

1/3 cup plus 1 tablespoon sugar

1/3 cup champagne or sparkling wine

2 tablespoons peach liqueur (optional)

¾ cup heavy cream, chilled

2 peaches, halved and pitted

2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

2 tablespoons light brown sugar

1. Heat a grill or grill pan. Prepare an ice-water bath; set aside. Make the sabayon: Combine the yolks, sugar, champagne, and liqueur, if using, in a large metal bowl set over a large pan of simmering water. Whisk until the mixture is very thick and has expanded in volume, about 7 minutes. Place the bowl in the ice bath; let cool completely.

2. Place the cream in a large bowl, and beat until stiff peaks form. Fold the whipped cream into the egg yolk mixture. Cover with plastic wrap, and place in the refrigerator at least 20 minutes.

3. Line a grill or pan with heavy-duty foil. Brush the peaches with butter; sprinkle with brown sugar. Grill, cut side down, until the peaches are tender and the sugar is caramelized, 6 to 7 minutes. Divide the sabayon among 4 dishes, and top each with a peach half. Serve.

pineapple floats

MAKES 8

In place of fresh pineapple, you can drain two 8-ounce cans crushed pineapple, roast it, and skip making the syrup.

1 pineapple (about 4 pounds), top trimmed

1 cup granulated sugar

1 vanilla bean, halved lengthwise

3 tablespoons packed dark-brown sugar

3 tablespoons dark rum

1 quart best-quality vanilla ice cream

1 liter club soda

1. Preheat the oven to 425°F. Peel the pineapple using a sharp knife, reserving the peels as you work. Cut the flesh lengthwise into quarters; cut out and reserve the core. Transfer the peels and core pieces to a large pot; reserve the flesh.

2. Add 5 cups water to the pot; bring to a boil. Add the granulated sugar and vanilla bean; cook about 30 minutes, mashing the peels occasionally with the back of a spoon to extract juice. Meanwhile, cut the pineapple into ½-inch cubes; transfer to a rimmed baking sheet. Sprinkle with the brown sugar and rum. Cook until just golden, about 20 minutes. Transfer to a bowl; let cool completely. Cover; refrigerate up to 2 days.

3. Pour the pineapple peel mixture from the pot through a sieve into a large bowl; discard the solids. Return the liquid to the pot, and bring to a boil. Cook until reduced to ½ cup, about 4 minutes. Refrigerate the syrup, covered, until ready to serve, up to 2 days.

4. Divide the pineapple evenly among 8 serving glasses. Top with 2 teaspoons syrup and 2 scoops ice cream. Fill with club soda. Drizzle with remaining syrup.

asian pears with