Easy, Sun Fruit Desert

by Christa Upton
(South Dakota)

Recipe Six in the Solar Hot Pot

Well, we’re still getting lots of clouds these days, with predictions for more. So I decided rather than risk a long-cooking and more sensitive meat dish, I’d do something quick and likely to work even with ‘some’ clouds. :) Plus, it’s totally yummy and easy!

Easy Sun Fruit Dessert

In medium bowl, mix:

1/2 c. unbleached all purpose (white) flour
1/2 c. whole wheat pastry flour (or can use all one kind of flour; all whole wheat will be a bit ‘heavy’)
1 c. sugar
1/4 t. baking soda
dash or 2 or 3 of salt

12:00 (or about 1-2 hours before you’d like your dessert)—1 can (21 oz.) pie filling (we like cherry), 1 can (15 to 20 oz.) crushed pineapple: stir together in Hot Pot. Sprinkle evenly with flour mixture. Dot pieces of butter (about 1 stick), distributing all over on top of flour.

--See Picture

Cover, set up facing sun, set timer for 60 minutes. If butter is not melted and ‘baking’ the flour mixture yet, adjust to sun and keep checking every 20 to 30 minutes. (Check with the lid on, to avoid losing heat by opening lid.)

If you’re struggling with clouds like we are, best to take it out at least by the time the fruit has been out for 2 hours (for food safety, just in case, though probably not as critical as meat and veggies). When it is done, it should look something like this:

---See included photos


After 2 hours with ‘partly cloudy’ sky and thin, hazy clouds covering the sun much of the time, our dessert was around 130 degrees Fahrenheit—not quite up to ‘food safety temp’ to leave longer than 2 hours, but nice and hot and cooked ‘enough.’

This recipe is delicious and rather addicting! Yeah, it has lots of sugar (which you could cut back on if you want, and we probably will next time), but it also has good fruit antioxidants and vitamins. Even a little fiber in the whole wheat flour. :) You could also add ground nuts or flax seed to the topping if you like.

Oh, this was fun! We enjoyed our Sunday lunch treat and our success even with hazy clouds!