Bake until pears are tender.  Baste frequently with the syrup.

PEAR TARTS

Line pie tins or tart pans with plain pastry.  Fill with stewed pears and then dust with cinnamon and bake in a slow oven.  Top with fruit whip.

PEAR BREAD PUDDING

Place a layer of broken stale bread in the bottom of a well-greased pudding pan and then a layer of thinly-sliced pears.  Season each layer of bread and pears slightly with nutmeg and cinnamon.  When the dish is full pour over

  One cup of syrup,
  One-half cup of brown sugar,
  One cup of water.

Stir until sugar is dissolved and then bake in a slow oven for one hour.  Serve with custard sauce.

PEAR SAUCE

Pare and then cover with just enough water to cook.  Cook until tender and then mash and put through a fine sieve or colander.  Sweeten to taste, adding

  Juice of one lemon.

One tablespoon of either cinnamon or nutmeg to each quart of the pear sauce.  This may be used and served with roast duck, chicken, or as a side dish, and in pear shortcake and as a spread for bread and hot cakes.

BAKED PEARS AND CRANBERRIES

Pare eight pears and then cut in half, removing stems and seeds.  Place in a baking dish with the cut side up.  Sort over and wash one cup of cranberries and then add the berries to the pears and

  One-half cup of raisins,
  One cup of syrup,
  One-half cup of brown sugar,
  One cup of water,
  One-quarter teaspoon of nutmeg.

Bake in a slow oven until the pears are soft.

Note.—­This dish may be cooked upon the top of the stove in a saucepan.

DRIED FRUIT

Oranges and grapefruit are high-priced and the dried fruits may be substituted to advantage.  If these fruits are nicely prepared, the family will hardly be able to distinguish between them and the fresh fruit.

Frequently the dried fruits are so prepared that they are anything but inviting.  Much will depend upon the selection of these fruits.  Purchase only the best grade.  This fruit should be bright and waxy and not too dry.  Soak for fifteen minutes in warm water; this loosens the dirt before washing.  Now wash in plenty of water.  Cover with water and allow to stand until the fruit has plumped out; each piece of fruit will only absorb just the amount of moisture as it originally contained.

This will require from six to twelve hours, depending entirely upon the dryness of the fruit.  Be sure that the water covers the fruit at least one inch.  Now, when the fruit is ready, add sugar to sweeten and place in the stove to cook.  The slower this fruit is cooked the better.  Remember that hard, rapid cooking not only spoils dried fruits, but fresh fruit as well.