Real Food for Everyone
Apple-Pear Compote When apples and pears are in season, this is an excellent topping for waffles and French toast. This simple cooked fruit is also a winner if you need to whip up a quick last-minute dessert: I’ve served it many times with a cookie or two, and it always hits the spot. You might sprinkle some chopped toasted nuts on top to give it a little crunch. Makes about 3 cups
¼ cup pure maple syrup
3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
¼ teaspoon fine sea salt
¹⁄8 teaspoon ground cloves
¹⁄8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
½ vanilla bean, split lengthwise
3 apples, such as Gala, Pink Lady, or Rome Beauty (about 1¼ pounds), peeled, cored, and cut into 1-inch chunks
3 ripe pears, such as Anjou (about 1 ¼ pounds), peeled, cored, and cut into 1-inch chunks
2 teaspoons water
1 teaspoon arrowroot
Stir the maple syrup, lemon juice, cinnamon, salt, cloves, and nutmeg in a large saucepan to blend. Scrape the seeds from the vanilla bean into the syrup, then add the bean. Stir in the apples and bring the syrup mixture to a simmer over medium-high heat. Decrease the heat to medium-low and cook, stirring occasionally, for 3 minutes. Add the pears and continue cooking until the apples and pears are tender, about 15 minutes.
Stir the 2 teaspoons water and the arrowroot in a small bowl to blend. Quickly stir the arrowroot mixture into the apple-pear mixture and simmer until the liquid thickens, about 3 minutes.
Remove from the heat and discard the vanilla bean. Let cool slightly before serving.
Refrigerate the compote in an airtight container for up to 5 days.
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