Gingerbread With Fruited Compote Recipes

OLD-FASHIONED FRUIT COMPOTE

Steps:

• Drain pineapple, peaches and oranges, reserving the juices; set drained fruit aside. In a Dutch oven, combine fruit juice, dried fruits, lemon zest strips and cinnamon stick. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer until dried fruit is tender, about 30 minutes. Add reserved canned fruit and cherries; heat just until warmed through. Serve warm or at room temperature.

GINGERBREAD WITH DRIED FIG, APRICOT AND CHERRY COMPOTE

Steps:

• Position rack in center of oven and preheat to 350°F. Generously butter and flour 12-cup Bundt pan. Sift flour, baking soda, ground ginger, cinnamon, cloves and salt into medium bowl. Combine melted butter and brown sugar in large bowl. Beat until well blended. Gradually beat in molasses. Beat in eggs. Add dry ingredients and beat until well blended. Gradually beat in hot water. Stir in chopped crystallized ginger.
• Transfer batter to prepared pan. Bake until tester inserted near center of cake comes out clean, about 55 minutes. Cool cake in pan on rack 10 minutes. Turn cake out onto rack and cool completely. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Wrap in plastic; let stand at room temperature.)
• Cut cake into wedges. Place on plates. Spoon some compote alongside each wedge. Garnish with sweetened whipped cream and serve.

WINTER FRUIT COMPOTE WITH GINGER

Steps:

• In a bowl let the cranberries soak in the orange juice for 30 minutes, drain them in a sieve set over a bowl, and reserve the juice. Reserve 1 large piece of the preserved ginger and in a blender or food processor purée the remaining ginger with the syrup and the reserved orange juice. In a deep 2-quart glass serving dish arrange half the cranberries, drizzle them with about 1/2 cup of the ginger mixture, and top them with the grapes. Drizzle the grapes with about 1/2 cup of the remaining ginger mixture, top them with the grapefruit, and drizzle the grapefruit with about 1/2 cup of the remaining ginger mixture. Top the grapefruit with the pineapple, drizzle it with the remaining ginger mixture, and arrange the remaining cranberries on top. Arrange the orange sections over the cranberries, chill the compote, covered, for at least 2 hours or overnight, and serve it garnished with the reserved ginger, cut into julienne strips.

SPICED FRUIT COMPOTE

Steps:

• Place cinnamon sticks and cloves on a double thickness of cheesecloth; bring up corners of cloth and tie with kitchen string to form a bag., In a large saucepan, combine the orange juice, raisins, brown sugar, salt and ginger. Add spice bag; bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 8 minutes. Add fruit; simmer for 3 minutes. Discard spice bag. Serve fruit warm or cold with a slotted spoon.