Maple-Roasted Pears with Passion Fruit or Fresh Raspberry Sauce

Fresh autumn fruit desserts—from plush apple cakes to svelte compotes—are traditional on Sukkot. For me, a light fruit dessert that is festive and satisfying without being rich makes the best coda to the multicourse meal.

In this recipe I roast maple-glazed pears to give them a buttery depth and luxurious mouth feel with no added fat. More, perhaps, than any other fruit, passion fruit—evoking puckery citrus, berries, and lush tropical fruits with unknown names—tastes of faraway plac