Maple-Roasted Pears with Passion Fruit and/or Fresh Raspberry Sauce

Fresh autumn-fruit desserts—from sumptuous apple cakes to svelte compotes—are traditional on Sukkot. For me, a light fruit dessert that is festive and satisfying without being rich makes a wonderfully renewing finale to the multi-course 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—t