Berry Compote

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 cups berries, frozen
• 1/2 cup water
• 2 1/2 tbsp. agave syrup
• 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
• 1 pinch of salt
• 1/2  tsp. lemon juice
• 1 tsp. cornstarch
• 2 tsp. water

Makes 8 Servings (2 cups total, 1/4 cup per serving)

1. Combine berries, 1/2 cup water, agave syrup, vanilla, and salt in a small saucepan. Bring to a low simmer. Cook 5 minutes or until the water takes on a rich color and the berries are warmed through. Stir in the lemon juice.
2. In a small bowl, combine cornstarch and 2 teaspoons water. Stir into the berries. Bring to a low simmer; cook for 1 minute. If it is too thin, add a little more cornstarch mixed with water.

WW POINTS VALUE: 1 pt.

 

Note: This recipe appears in the New Sonoma Cookbook. Fruit compote is a dessert that's been around since the seventeenth century. It's made usually with fresh fruit and gently cooked over low heat until it becomes a thick sauce. The original recipe was a blueberry compote but you can use strawberries, raspberries, blackberries, cherries, nectarines and even mangoes. Heck you can use a combination of these fruits and the compote will be delicious. Don't boil the berries because  they will burst and lose their flavor and nutrients. The combination of water and cornstarch is an easy way to thicken a sauce. It has to be stirred before adding to the hot sauce because the two ingredients will separate when they're left to sit and can form lumps. There are different ways to flavor compote such as vanilla or almond extracts, lemon, lime or orange zests, cinnamon, nutmeg and even ginger. Compote is delicious with yogurt, pancakes, waffles and other baked goods. Homemade compote also has less sugar than the traditional store-bought jams and has more natural fruit flavor.