Circle of parchment on pears:
Laying a circle of parchment on top assures the fruit is submerged while it poaches.
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10 more how-to's for fruit desserts, including making cobbler tops, pitting cherries with a knife and arranging peaches for an upside-down cake.
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As far as we're concerned, the perfect summer dessert is a fewthings:
it's light, it's simple and it doesn't involve standing for too long (if at all)
over a hot stove.
Why light? A summer dessert should sate your sweet tooth without
leaving you feeling stuffed. Simple — well, when you've got the bounty
of summer fruit at your fingertips, you really don't have to do much to
make it shine. And the standing over a hot stove? That's pretty
self-explanatory.