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Filling

2 quarts fresh blackberries

½ cup sugar

¼ cup cornstarch

Juice of 1 lemon

To make the crumble topping, mash together the butter, sugar, flour, and rosemary in a large bowl. The best way to do this is with your hands.

In a large bowl, mix the blackberries, sugar, cornstarch, and lemon juice together. Pour the blackberry filling into a 9 × 13-inch glass baking pan; even it out with a spatula. Crumble the topping over the blackberry mixture. Bake for 1 hour on a nonstick cookie sheet (to catch any overflow) until the topping is brown and the fruit is bubbly. Serve the crumble with vanilla ice cream. Make sure the crumble is still a little warm so the ice cream will melt.

Roasted Pineapple

with Rum-Vanilla Sauce

and Coconut

45 minutes

An elegant and easy dessert that you can bang out in under an hour.

Serves 6

½ cup sugar

2 tablespoons cornstarch

1 teaspoon salt

1½ cups hot water

½ cup white rum

½ vanilla bean, scraped

1 pineapple

½ cup shredded coconut, toasted

1 pint rum raisin ice cream

Preheat the oven to 400°F. In a pot, stir together the sugar, cornstarch, and salt. Add the hot water slowly, whisking constantly. Place the pot over high heat and bring the mixture to a simmer while continuing to whisk. Turn off the heat once the sauce has thickened, 3 to 5 minutes. Add the rum and the vanilla scrapings; stir to incorporate.

Cut the top and bottom off the pineapple with a large sharp knife. Stand the pineapple up on the counter and slice off the rind from top to bottom; then cut it into thirds lengthwise. Cut the wedges in half the short way so you have six thick chunks; remove the cores. Put the pineapple wedges on a nonstick cookie sheet and ladle them with half of the rum sauce. Bake for 30 minutes; then switch the oven to broil and cook until the pineapple is caramelized, 10 to 15 minutes. Serve a hunk of pineapple covered with remaining rum sauce, toasted coconut, and 2 scoops of ice cream.

Spiced Poached Quince

1 hour

Quince is an ancient Roman fruit that looks like a cross between a pear and an apple. It has an amazing aroma when poached.

Serves 8

4 cups water

2 cups sugar

2 cinnamon sticks

1 teaspoon ground cardamom

1 teaspoon allspice

5 whole cloves

2 whole star anise

1 teaspoon fennel seed

1-inch piece fresh ginger, whacked open with the flat side of a knife

1 lemon, halved

1 orange, halved

4 quinces, about 3 pounds, peeled, cored, and halved lengthwise

In a large pot, combine all the ingredients. Bring to a simmer over high heat, stirring several times to dissolve the sugar. Cut a circle of parchment paper just slightly bigger than the opening of your pot. Place the piece of parchment paper on top of the simmering quinces and a small plate on top of the paper to keep the quinces submerged in the syrup. Adjust the heat to keep the quinces simmering but not boiling hard. Simmer for 40 minutes or until the quince halves are easily pierced with a paring knife, but not falling apart. Strain the syrup. Serve the quince halves, warm or at room temperature, in a shallow bowl with some syrup.

Apple Tarte Tatin with Red Wine Caramel and Fresh Thyme

Apple Tarte Tatin

with Red Wine Caramel

and Fresh Thyme

1 ¼ hours

The red wine caramel adds a sexy complexity to this classic French staple and the fresh thyme gives it a sweet, earthy depth.

Serves 8 to 10

4 tablespoons (½ stick) unsalted butter

1 cup sugar

¼ cup heavy cream

1 cup red wine

½ vanilla bean, split and scraped

1 teaspoon freshly squeezed lemon juice

7 Granny Smith apples, peeled, halved, and cored

2 sheets puff pastry,1 box, about 1 pound

Leaves from 2 fresh thyme sprigs, for garnish

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Place the butter and sugar in a small pot and cook, stirring constantly, over medium heat until the sugar has melted and caramelized, about 8 minutes. Remove the pot from the burner and add the cream. It will bubble and spit, so be careful. When the sauce has calmed down, return to the flame and add