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- The sweet-tart duo of Granny Smith apples and Bartlett pears creates a luscious topping that works on everything from breakfast to dessert.
- A simple touch of light brown sugar and a pinch of cinnamon elevates the fruit’s inherent sweetness, coating each slice with warm spice without overwhelming it.
- Nearly effortless and make-ahead friendly, this fruit accompaniment can be prepared the day before and simply reheated — perfect for your next brunch spread.
Bill Neal’s medley of sautéed apples and pears is a delicious, low-lift way to bring sweet fall flavor to the table. While it makes a superb topping for pancakes, oatmeal, crêpes, or ice cream, the dish can certainly be enjoyed on its own. For a little extra texture, feel free to incorporate chopped toasted nuts by stirring them in at the end or sprinkling them over the finished fruit; pecans, walnuts, or hazelnuts would be especially tasty.
The best apples for cooking
Whether you’re cooking up a sweet treat or a savory meal, you’ll need to choose apples that can stand up to both the heat and the dish’s other flavors — unless it’s applesauce you’re making, you want the fruit to hold its shape. Granny Smith apples, as called for here, are the quintessential cooking apple; they’re firm and tart, maintaining their integrity as they caramelize and providing just the right tang to offset the brown sugar coating. Other classic cooking apples include Braeburn, Jonagold, Northern Spy, and Pink Lady.
How to select pears for sautéing
Just-ripe pears work best in this recipe — they should be slightly soft at the neck but still firm overall. Very ripe pears will break down in the pan, while underripe pears won’t release enough sweetness. If Bartlett pears are not available, go for Anjou.
Notes from the Food & Wine Test Kitchen
- Should you swap out the Granny Smith for a sweeter apple, feel free to balance out the dish with a squeeze of lemon juice.
- Slice the fruit as uniformly as possible to promote even cooking.
- For a bit of adult flavor, deglaze the pan with your choice of alcohol, being sure to let it cook off to eliminate any harshness. Calvados, rum, bourbon, wine, or hard cider are fine options — just a splash should do the trick.
