I discovered this recipe from a canning book.  We have loved it! 

Pear Honey

7-8 cups of mash/chopped peeled pears. 

1 20 oz can of crushed pineapple

1/4 cup lemon juice

5 cups sugar

1. Peel and core pears. You can either mash them or use a food processor or a blender to chop them.  It's nice to have little chunks of the fruit still in the finished product.

2. Put pears a large pot and add the crushed pineapple (if you don't have crushed, you can put slices, chunks or tidbits in with the pears as you blend them), 

3. Add the sugar and the lemon juice.  Stir well.  

4. Turn on the heat to a medium and make sure that you stir frequently so that it doesn't scorch or burn.  

5. When it is heated through, put in jars and process for 15 minutes.

We love it on pancakes and waffles but it's also great on ice cream.

Pear Honey

Pear Honey

9 cups of sliced pears (this can be an approximate amount so if you have more, it still works)
1 can pineapple chunks
1/4 cup lemon juice
3-5 cups sugar

1.  Peel and core the pears.
2.  Slice before measuring.
3.  Put in a blender or food processor with the lemon juice and pineapple.
4.  Blend until partly smooth, but also partly chunky.  I like the chunks in it, but not too big - pea size or smaller is great.
5.  In a large 6 quart pan, pour the blended mixture in and add the sugar.  I start adding the smaller amount and then only add more if I want it  sweeter.
6.  Cook on low heat for 20 minutes.  Be sure to keep stirring the mixture at regular intervals to avoid scorching, it can scorch pretty easy.
7.  Pour the mixture in the jars and process for 10 minutes.

Goes great on pancakes and waffles!

Fruit Pizza

SUGAR COOKIE CRUST

• 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
• 3/4 cup granulated sugar
• 1 large egg, at room temperature
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 and 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 and 1/2 teaspoons cornstarch

Frosting

• 8 oz cream cheese, softened to room temperature
• 1/4 cup unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
• 2 cups confectioners' sugar
• 1-2 Tablespoons cream or milk
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• assorted sliced fresh fruit

With a mixer, blend the butter for one minute until smooth.  Add the sugar and cream the butter and sugar.  Add the egg and the vanilla and mix until smooth.  Add the flour, salt, baking powder, baking soda and cornstarch and mix until smooth.  

The original recipe says to chill it for at least one hour at this point or it may rise too much and spill over the pan when you bake it.  I didn't have time and I didn't have a problem with it.  Spread the dough in a 12 inch pizza pan.  (I doubled the recipe and put it on the large sheet cake pan.  Spread it as evenly as possible.  If the dough is sticking to your hands, sprinkle a little flour over the dough and it will help with that.

Bake for 18-20 minutes in a 375 degree oven.  Remove and let it cool.

Frosting

Mix the butter, and cream cheese together.  Add the confectioner's sugar along with 1-2 tablespoons of milk.  I started with one tablespoon and it was enough, so start with the smaller amount and add more if you need it.  Spread over the cooled cookie dough crust evenly.  Top with fruit.

Fruit ideas:

bananas

pineapple (fresh or canned, just make sure that you drain the canned pineapple well)

kiwi fruit

mandarin oranges (if it is canned, drain it will)

berries:  strawberries, blueberries, blackberries, raspberries, etc.

grapes, cut in half

Garbage Salad

I know the name of this salad sounds terrible, but it doesn't taste like that.  Super easy and fun to take to gatherings.

Garbage Salad


1 can fruit cocktail with the juice drained off
1 can crushed pineapple
2 or three bananas
2 8 oz. cans mandarin oranges, drain the juice off of one can
1 to 2 cups marshmallows (just depends on how much you like marshmallows and you can even not add them if you don't like them!)
1 3 oz. box instant pudding ( I usually go with banana cream, but french vanilla and lemon are good also.)

Slice the bananas into a large bowl.  Dump in the fruit cocktail, crushed pineapple and mandarin oranges.  Sprinkle the instant pudding over the top and stir well, make sure that the pudding gets into the juice.  When it is well mixed, stir in the marshmallows until they are distributed throughout the salad.

It helps if you chill the mixture after you make it before you serve it, or you can chill the fruit in the cans before you put them in the bowl.  This will feed 12 to 15 people.