Hot Berry Compote
I think the daughters of Olsson both have a solid working relationship with this recipe, but this is for posterity, right? This is our current household obsession, so it bears mentioning.
Isn't compote a terrible word? Terrible.
This is great for less than perfect apples, and less than perfect berries. We had some mealy apples and some blackberries that were none too sweet to begin with and had spent a bit too long in various peoples' cars. The cooking transformed them back to splendor and sent us out for frozen berries to feed the obsession and deal with the rest of the apples.
For two people:
2 apples
a very approximate cup or so of berries (preferably NOT strawberries, unless you swing that way.) (half a small bag of frozen raspberries works perfectly.)
approximate small handful of sugar, depending on tartness of berries
splash of cranberry juice
shake of ground allspice
two spoonfuls of cornstarch in a blorp of cold water
Chop the apples into chunks. Dump them in a saucepan with the berries. Add the sugar and allspice, splash on a little cranberry juice for cooking liquid. Cook covered on low until you remember to check on them, or until they boil over and remind you. (Not recommended.) About 10 min? Maybe less?
Cook uncovered for another 6 or 8 minutes to reduce. When it is not so soupy, mix the cornstarch with a blorp of cold water then pour into the boiling berry mixture. Stir it in for about a minute. Mash things up as you stir. They should be deliciously mashable. Turn of the burner and let it cool and thicken for a bit, then serve, straight up.
If you DO boil over, it smells fantastic, AND your stove top gets to look like a mad zombie slaughter zone.
Isn't compote a terrible word? Terrible.
This is great for less than perfect apples, and less than perfect berries. We had some mealy apples and some blackberries that were none too sweet to begin with and had spent a bit too long in various peoples' cars. The cooking transformed them back to splendor and sent us out for frozen berries to feed the obsession and deal with the rest of the apples.
For two people:
2 apples
a very approximate cup or so of berries (preferably NOT strawberries, unless you swing that way.) (half a small bag of frozen raspberries works perfectly.)
approximate small handful of sugar, depending on tartness of berries
splash of cranberry juice
shake of ground allspice
two spoonfuls of cornstarch in a blorp of cold water
Chop the apples into chunks. Dump them in a saucepan with the berries. Add the sugar and allspice, splash on a little cranberry juice for cooking liquid. Cook covered on low until you remember to check on them, or until they boil over and remind you. (Not recommended.) About 10 min? Maybe less?
Cook uncovered for another 6 or 8 minutes to reduce. When it is not so soupy, mix the cornstarch with a blorp of cold water then pour into the boiling berry mixture. Stir it in for about a minute. Mash things up as you stir. They should be deliciously mashable. Turn of the burner and let it cool and thicken for a bit, then serve, straight up.
If you DO boil over, it smells fantastic, AND your stove top gets to look like a mad zombie slaughter zone.
Comments
reminds me of childhood.