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Hello, sugar and spice. Simmering prunes with an orange, plus a little maple syrup and brandy gets you a predictably sweet mixture ready for all your favorite carbs. Adding cinnamon and chipotle gets you a more complex treat with seductively warming qualities.
Spoon it over vanilla ice cream, spread it on pancakes or waffles, or for a truly dead-simple and gorgeous breakfast, pan-sear some prepared polenta slices in a little coconut oil. Serve the compote on top with a sprinkle of toasted pepitas to cut the sugar and add contrasting texture.
Cinnamon-Chipotle Prune-Orange Compote
serves 4-6
1 cup water
1 cup pitted prunes
1 TBSP maple syrup (grade B preferred)
1 TBSP brandy
1/8 tsp ground cinnamon
1/8 tsp chipotle powder
1 orange
In a small pot, combine all ingredients except the orange. Cover and bring to a boil over high heat. Once boiling, reduce heat to medium-low to low, as appropriate to maintain a steady simmer, and set a timer for 45 minutes.
While the pot heats, use a paring knife to remove peel and pith from the orange. Discard. Working over a bowl to catch the juices, slice alongside membranes to release segments. When done extracting segments, gently squeeze the remaining membrane to extract any juice from the pulp that clings to it before discarding the membrane. Add orange segments and juice to the cooking pot and cover again.
Stir mixture every 15 minutes (reduce heat if this is not frequent enough). At the first stir, the prunes will have swollen. At 30 minutes, stir and carefully break the softened prunes up with a wooden spoon. After about 45 minutes, the prunes will have broken down further and the remaining liquid will have reduced to a thick syrup. Remove from heat. Serve warm.