Chico Sapote; tastes like a brown sugar, cinnamon pear. Picture by Jessica Michie

Chico Sapotes are just coming into their season in March for Hawaii. If you’ve never experienced this fruit, it’s like a pear with a brown sugar/cinnamon flavor added in. The consistency is like a pear and it has a thin skin which is edible.

My favorite thing to do, is to grab a branch and shake until a ripe fruit falls to the ground. You never experience any thing closer to heaven than this!

This fruit is just fine as it is but to make it even better, try Dan Paulson’s Chico Sapote Cake with Thimbleberry and Mulberry topping.

Chico Sapote Cake with Berry Glaze

Cake Ingredients:

Fresh Chicos, brown sugar, eggs, vanilla, flour, oil, salt, baking soda.

• 1 cup sugar (from Maui, of course)
• 1 cup brown sugar
• 3 cups flour
• 3 eggs beaten
• vanilla bean or 1/2 tsp extract
• 1 cup of oil (we used Mac Nut Oil*)
• 1 tsp sea salt
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 4-1/2 cups of ripe Chicos (diced or in their natural sections)

Mix well until cookie dough like consistency then add Chicos last. Place in a cake pan (we used a spring form) and bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour. Test with toothpick until it comes out clean.

Topping:

• 1/4 cup of butter
• 1/4 cup brown sugar
• 1/8 cup milk
• 2 cups berries

In a sauce pan, over med to low heat, stir ingredients until a syrup consistency. When cooled, pour on cake and put cake back into oven for 5 to 10 minutes. Cool and enjoy with some fresh whipped cream.

If you have another recipe to share, we’d love to hear from you. Mahalo!

*Mac Nut Oil purchased from Coco Island Organics at 808-747-0328 or sustainablefood@ymail.com