Roasted Stone Fruit

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. In a small bowl, whisk together the sugar and spices.

In another bowl, toss the fruit with the vanilla, and orange juice .

In a roasting pan or oven-proof baking dish, arrange the fruit cut-side up pouring any extra juice in the baking dish . Sprinkle evenly with sugar and spices .

Roast for approximately 20 minutes or until the fruit is fork tender.

Serve the roasted fruit over vanilla bean ice cream accompanied by a shortbread cookie . You could also serve fruit with fresh whipped cream or creme fraiche and use it as a filling or topping for crepes.

Roasted Fruit Variations:

Peaches and Cream: Roast peaches with cinnamon and nutmeg . Serve with sweetened cream in between sliced buttermilk biscuits .

Cranberry-Pear Walnut: Roast 4 sliced Anjou or Bosc pears with 3/4 cup fresh or frozen cranberries . Substitute the brown sugar for white sugar and add cinnamon . After the pears are roasted top with toasted walnuts .

Vanilla-Roasted Nectarines : Roast the nectarines seasoned with cardamom and slightly increase the vanilla extract . Serve with creme fraiche that has been sweetened with honey and vanilla.