Black Cherry Compote Food

EASY CHERRY COMPOTE

Steps:

• Put the cherries into a wide, deep frying pan, add 150ml water, then bring to the boil. Cook for 15 mins, stirring now and again until the fruit is starting to soften. Tip in the sugar, stir until it dissolves, add the lemon juice and brandy, then bring back to the boil.
• Cook for 15 mins until the fruit has collapsed a little and the sauce is syrupy, smooth and dark purple. Spoon a little of the juice onto a saucer and leave to cool for 30 secs. Push it with your finger; it's ready if the syrup wrinkles. Ladle into sterilised jars (see tip, below) and seal.

BLACK CHERRY BURGUNDY COMPOTE

Steps:

• Add cherries to a sauce pan with honey and wine. Cook over low heat until red juice oozes out of the cherries.
• Turn up heat to medium high and stir in cornstarch, orange juice and rum. Keep stirring until mixture is creamy and transparent.
• Serve hot or cold with hot biscuits.

CORNMEAL CAKE WITH BLACK CHERRY COMPOTE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°F. Butter 9 x 5x 2 1/2-inch metal loaf pan. Dust with cornmeal; tap out excess. Scrape seeds from vanilla bean into heavy medium saucepan; add bean. Add milk, butter, lemon peel and salt. Bring to simmer, stirring until butter melts. Remove from heat. Gradually whisk in 1 cup cornmeal. Transfer to medium bowl. Mix in honey and 3 tablespoons sugar. Cool to just lukewarm, stirring occasionally, about 10 minutes. Discard vanilla bean. Whisk in yolks.
• Using electric mixer, beat egg whites in large bowl until foamy. Sprinkle remaining 2 tablespoons sugar over whites and beat until medium-soft peaks form. Gently fold whites into cornmeal mixture in 2 additions. Pour batter into prepared pan.
• Bake cake until top cracks and tester inserted into center comes out with a few moist crumbs attached, about 45 minutes. Cool cake in pan on rack (cake will fall in center). Turn out onto plate. Using sharp serrated knife, cut cake into 3/4-inch-thick slices. Place 1 slice on each plate. Top with Black Cherry Compote.

CRANBERRY-CHERRY COMPOTE

Steps:

• Bring cranberries, cherries, brown sugar, cider, and pepper to a boil over high heat in a medium saucepan. Cook 2 minutes, stirring occasionally, then stir in bourbon. Reduce heat, bring to a simmer, and cook, stirring often and pushing fruit against the side of the pan with the back of a wooden spoon to break apart slightly, until thick and syrupy, about 25 minutes more. Let cool completely.
• Do Ahead
• Sauce can be made 5 days ahead; cover and chill. Bring to room temperature before serving.

BLACKCURRANT COMPOTE

Steps:

• Put 2 tbsp water and the lemon juice in a large saucepan, bring to the boil, then add the blackcurrants and simmer until broken down.
• Tip in the golden caster sugar and bring to 105C on a temperature probe. Pour into sterilised jars and leave to cool. Will keep in the fridge for up to 3 weeks.

CHERRY COMPOTE

Steps:

• Bring cherries, Port, wine, sugar, cinnamon stick, pepper, and a pinch of salt to a boil in a 1-quart heavy saucepan over moderate heat.
• Stir together cornstarch and vinegar until smooth, then stir into boiling liquid. Boil 1 minute.
• Remove from heat and cover, then let stand 15 minutes. Serve warm.

DARK CHOCOLATE POTS WITH CHERRY COMPOTE

Steps:

• First, make the compote. Tip the cherries into a wide saucepan with 2 tbsp water and bring to the boil over a medium heat. When the fruit starts to soften, add the sugar and brandy, then return to the boil, reduce the heat to low-medium and simmer for 15-20 mins until slightly thickened. Spoon into a bowl or sterilised jar and set aside to cool.
• Melt the chocolate, butter and 1 tbsp water together in a heatproof bowl set over a pan of simmering water, ensuring the base of the bowl doesn't touch the water. Alternatively, do this in the microwave in short 20-second bursts. Remove from the heat and leave to cool slightly.
• Beat the egg yolks with 60g caster sugar until pale and creamy using a stand mixer or an electric whisk, about 2-3 mins. Fold this into the warm chocolate mixture. In a second bowl, beat the egg whites with the remaining caster sugar to soft peaks (ensure the beaters are cleaned thoroughly first). Fold the whipped egg white mixture into the chocolate mixture using a large metal spoon, then divide between six serving glasses and chill for at least 2 hrs.
• For the cream topping, beat the double cream with the icing sugar and vanilla using an electric whisk until thick, being careful not to over-whip. Top the chilled chocolate pots with a spoonful each of the cream and cherry compote.