TRINA CONFUSIONE • SPECIAL TO THE NEWS JOURNAL • JUNE 2, 2010

I love this time of the year, because the grill comes out and my family and friends get together for almost every meal. We like to keep everything light and fresh to make up for all the comfort food we ate when it was cold. For a dessert, I like to use fresh fruit on the grill and add a fun and easy twist to the warm fruit - ice cream. My favorite fruit to grill is pineapple. The warm pineapple, with cold ice cream alongside and the simple  sweetness of the praline sauce paired with the slightly spicy crunch of pecans, is a great dessert treat for your cookout. These recipes are not only easy, but the praline sauce and candied spiced pecans store well for future cookouts or that unexpected get-together. The sauce will keep indefinitely in an airtight container. The candied spiced pecans can be kept in an airtight baggie for a couple of weeks. It only takes a few minutes to warm up the fruit, so use fresh and very ripe fruit. All you need to do is keep your favorite vanilla ice cream on hand.

 I hope you enjoy this light dessert. Get outdoors and grill up something sweet for your family and friends!

Grilled Fresh Fruit
Whole pineapple, skin and core removed, cut into 3⁄4-inch wedges
Bananas, peeled and cut in half lengthwise, rubbed with brown sugar
Stone fruit (peaches, plums and nectarines) cut in half, stone removed, flesh rubbed with brown sugar
Place on clean, oiled grill at medium heat until just heated through, 5-8 minutes. Do not overcook; you want
the fruit to keep its texture.

Praline Sauce
2 cups dark corn syrup
1⁄3 cup boiling water
1⁄3 cup packed brown sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 tablespoons butter
Combine all ingredients except the butter in a saucepan. Cook over medium heat just until boiling. Remove
from heat and whisk in the butter. Makes about 3 cups.

Spicy Candied Pecans
3 cups pecan halves
Water, to cover pecans
1⁄4 cup molasses
1⁄2 teaspoon ground cinnamon (optional)
1⁄2 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper (optional)
Preheat oven to 250 degrees. Place pecans in a small saucepan and cover with water. Bring to a boil and drain. Allow to cool, place evenly on a sheet pan, and dry in oven for 10 minutes. Mix the molasses with the cinnamon and cayenne pepper, if desired.
Remove pecans from oven and coat with the molasses mixture. Return pecans to sheet pan, spread out evenly and bake for about 30 minutes - until dry, not sticky. Remove from oven and let cool before handling.

Photo: Grilled fruit with praline sauce and spicy candied pecans created by pastry chef Trina Confusione. (Tony Giberson/tgiberson@pnj.com)