Cooking Class: FRUIT DESSERTS

APPLE PAN DOWDY

Sugar and Spice Syrup:

1 cup brown sugar, packed

1/4 cup flour

1/4 tsp salt

1 tsp vinegar

1/4 tsp cinnamon

Dash of nutmeg

1 tsp lemon juice

1 tsp vanilla

2 Tbsp butter

In a sauce pan, mix sugar, flour and salt. Add vinegar and water; stir well. Cook over low heat, stirring constantly, until thick. Remove from heat; cool. Add cinnamon and rest of ingredients.

Topping:

1 cup sifted flour

2 tsp baking powder

3/4 tsp salt
3 Tbsp shortening
3/4 cup milk
5 cups sliced, peeled tart apples

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. While sugar and spice syrup cools, sift flour, baking powder and salt together twice. With a pastry blender, cut in shortening until lumps are size of peas. Add milk, and stir until flour mixture is moistened but still lumpy. Place apple slices in a well greased, deep 10" pie plate or 12x8 inch baking pan. Pour sugar and spice syrup over them. Drop the biscuitlike topping over the apples. Bake for 40 minutes. Serve warm in a saucer or dessert dish with light or heavy cream.

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CHERRY BUBBLES

1 large can pitted red sour cherries, packed in water
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/8 tsp salt
4 tsp cornstarch
2 Tbsp butter or margarine

1/8 tsp almond extract

1 pkg refrigerated pan-ready biscuits

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Drain cherries; saving juice. In a saucepan, combine sugar, salt, cornstarch; stir in cherry juice; cook, stirring, until clear and thickened. Remove from heat; add butter and extract. Meanwhile, place cherries in an 8x8 inch baking dish; arrange biscuits on top. Pour the sauce over all. Bake 25 minutes. Serve warm, in dessert dishes with cream, if desired.

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TANGERINE DELIGHT

8 medium tangerines

1 1/2 cups wateer

1/2 cup granulated sugar

5 2" cinnamon sticks

6 whole cloves

2 Tbsp lemon juice

The day before: Wash, peel and section the tangerines, placing the rind from 3 tangerines in a saucepan. Remove all white fiber from fruit; add fiber to rind, along with water, sugar, spices, lemon juice. Bring to full, rolling boil; boil, uncovered for 10 minutes. Remove rind; add tangerine sections; bring to a boil again; boil 1 minute, cool. Refrigerate. Serve with cream cheese and crackers.