Favorite Fall Sweets

PEAR-GINGER CRISP

MAKES 6 SERVINGS

Ginger adds a warm and cozy layer of flavor to this effortless pear crisp.

CRUMBLE

¾ cup all-purpose flour
½ cup firmly packed dark brown sugar
1 teaspoon ground ginger
½ teaspoon kosher salt
¼ cup unsalted butter, melted
½ cup sliced almonds

FILLING

6 Anjou pears, peeled, cored, and chopped
½ cup granulated sugar
⅓ cup chopped crystallized ginger
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
½ teaspoon ground ginger
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, cubed Vanilla ice cream, to serve

1. Preheat oven to 350°. Spray a 2-quart baking dish with cooking spray.

2. For crumble: In a medium bowl, combine flour, brown sugar, ginger, and salt. Stir in melted butter until mixture is crumbly. Stir in almonds.

3. For filling: In prepared pan, toss together pears, granulated sugar, crystallized ginger, cornstarch, lemon juice, and ground ginger. Sprinkle with butter, and top with crumble.

4. Bake until filling is bubbly, 40 to 45 minutes, covering with foil halfway through baking to prevent excess browning. Serve warm with ice cream.

SLICE-AND-BAKE BUTTER-PECAN COOKIES

MAKES 48

Studded with butter-roasted pecans, these melt-in-your-mouth cookies are best served with a tall glass of milk.

2 cups finely chopped pecans
1¼ cups unsalted butter, divided
1½ teaspoons kosher salt, divided
1 cup confectioners’ sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 cups all-purpose flour
¼ teaspoon baking powder
1 tablespoon turbinado sugar

1. Preheat oven to 350°.

2. Place pecans and ¼ cup butter on a rimmed baking sheet. Bake for 8 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove from oven, and sprinkle with 1 teaspoon salt. Let cool completely.

3. In a medium saucepan, melt remaining 1 cup butter over medium heat. Cook, stirring occasionally, until butter turns a medium-brown color and has a nutty aroma, about 10 minutes. Let cool until butter is solid but soft, about 1 hour.

In a large bowl, beat browned butter and confectioners’ sugar with a mixer at medium speed until combined, 1 to 2 minutes, stopping to scrape sides of bowl. Add