There's a ruby-colored reason this fruit dessert is so very saucy
Simmering port wine with orange, cinnamon and honey into a luxuriously syrupy sauce is just the thing to tame a medley of crisp fall fruit into an elegant dessert. Be sure to use a ruby Port, as opposed to a tawny, because the sweetness of the former is essential for the accompanying recipe.
Once the plush purple liquid is boiled down, you cook the fruit — first the apples and grapes, which take a little longer to soften, then the pears. In just a few minutes, the fruit yields to the warmth, its cool crunch relaxes, and it becomes tender while the fruit also absorbs the liquid's flavor and color and releases its own juices into the mix.
The fruit and sauce can be served warm or chilled, on its own or with whipped cream or vanilla ice cream. But my personal favorite way to enjoy it happens to also be the most healthful: over a dollop of plain Greek yogurt.
• Ellie Krieger is a registered dietitian, nutritionist and author who hosts public television's “Ellie's Real Good Food.”