How Canned Fruit Can Cheer Up Your Winter Baking Routine

Samantha Seneviratne, author of the new cookbook Bake Smart: Sweets and Secrets from My Oven to Yours, believes that canned fruit might not deserve the not-so-stellar reputation it often gets. “We've all been advocating for the use of frozen fruit when fresh is unavailable…but canned is a different story,” she said. “It gets a bad wrap for being overly sweet, but I realized that when it comes to dessert, that sweetness is an asset. Why not embrace it?”

According to Samantha, one way to appreciate canned fruit (and all its inherent sweetness) is by using it as the filling for a flaky, jammy galette. Specifically, the iteration in the just-published Bake Smart is full of canned apricots, along with pistachios and a touch of lemon zest.

“Apricots are my favorite canned fruit to use only because the fresh apricots that I can find, even when they're in season, are so rarely as delicious as I imagine they could be,” Samantha said. “Canned apricots have an intense flavor that I love.” (Pro tip: Don’t discard the syrup that comes with the canned fruit. Instead, drizzle it over yogurt or fresh fruit, stir it into cocktails, or add it to your smoothies as a sweetener.)

Of course, if apricots aren’t your thing, there’s room to experiment with other fruits. Canned peaches and pears both make a great galette filling, but she advises against others, like cherries. "I haven't found a canned cherry that I like as much as frozen,” she said.

The main thing to keep in mind when baking with canned fruit is this: It’s much softer, and therefore more delicate, than fresh fruit. “You have to use a gentle hand,” Samantha advised. Sweetness is also a factor—one that’s a matter of personal taste, regardless of whether you’re using fresh, frozen, or canned fruit. You’ll want to taste whatever it is you’re working with and add sugar accordingly. But in general, “canned fruit is closer to a really ripe, in-season specimen than not,” said Samantha.

Ready to try this Canned Apricot Pistachio Galette for yourself? Find the full recipe below.

More baking inspiration from Food52

• Our Favorite Fall Baking Recipes
• Our 34 Best Gluten-Free Baking Recipes
• Erin Jeanne McDowell’s Foolproof Tips for Perfect Holiday Pies
• 11 Very Different Ways to Make a Chocolate Chip Cookie

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