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Thursday, June 26, 2014

Simple Peach Compote

I've been up to my elbows in peaches recently. I've picked up several pounds both this week and last week. I recently shared my recipe for Peach Cobbler with Sugar Crackle Topping. So good! And, I just made some peach and poppy seed scones that were absolutely scrumptious. Yesterday, I made up a batch of my peach compote.
 
 
It is super similar to a chunky peach jam, but contains no added pectin so it doesn't quite have the same consistency. The uses for this compote are almost endless. Even though it isn't necessary a jam or jelly, it is still divine spread on toast or fresh biscuits. It can, also, be poured warm or cooled over vanilla ice cream. It's fabulous served over grilled pork chops. And, we love it dolloped on thick, vanilla yogurt. P.S. Add some into a blender with a few scoops of vanilla ice cream and a little milk for one heck of a milkshake.

In the past, I've even served this compote with a cheese and cracker tray. Spread a little soft cheese onto a crispy cracker and spoon on some of this compote. Heavenly.

TIP: You can amp up this compote with a variety of spices if desired. Cinnamon, ginger and/or nutmeg would bring a little warmth to the party. The caviar from a vanilla bean can be substituted for the vanilla extract. Even something unexpected like, some freshly-cracked black pepper or crushed red pepper flakes can add something super unique ... and would be great if using the compote over grilled meat or with crackers.

This can be frozen in an air-tight container for a few months or will keep well in the fridge for a week or so.

Ingredients:

12 ripe peaches, peeled, pitted and cut into a small dice
Juice of a lemon
Pinch of salt (optional)
1 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon good-quality vanilla extract

Directions:

Add diced peaches to a large sauté pan set over medium heat. Add in the lemon juice, salt and sugar. Bring to a simmer, then reduce heat to low. Allow to simmer (uncovered) for about thirty minutes - stirring occasionally. Use a potato masher to mash peaches to desired consistency. If you prefer a chunkier compote, do very little mashing. For a smoother compote, mash peaches almost completely.

Allow to simmer another 10 minutes after mashing as it continues to thicken, then remove pan from heat. Stir in vanilla and allow mixture to cool completely.

Store in glass jars or air-tight containers until ready to use.

PEACH PEELING TIP: I usually peel my peaches as they are. However, if you find the task too tedious, the peaches can be submerged into a pot of boiling water for 40 - 60 seconds, then removed and allowed to slightly cool. This helps the peel to come off easily without a lot of knife work.


4 comments:

  1. This sounds deliciious! I'd like that recipe for the peach and poppy seed scones... :o)

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  2. Kari -

    I followed the recipe for my blueberry/lemon scones (link below), but changed the following:

    I used chopped fresh peaches (they need to be frozen before using in the recipe, so chop them and place in freezer for about an hour spread out on a sheet pan) instead of blueberries and I omitted the lemon zest and juice in the recipe. I added in 1 heaping tablespoon of poppy seeds into the dough. For the glaze, I squeezed as much juice as I could from the peach peels left behind (into a small bowl), added in 5 - 6 tablespoons of powdered sugar and a splash of milk/heavy cream as needed until mixture is a glaze consistency. Drizzle over cooled scones. More poppy seeds can be sprinkled on top after glaze is added if desired.

    They were awesome!

    http://www.joyouslydomestic.com/2012/07/blueberry-scones-with-lemon-drizzle.html

    ReplyDelete
  3. Thank you, Angela! On the hunt for some good peaches today...

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    Replies
    1. One thing I didn't mention that I usually do ... once the scones are cut out and on the baking sheet, I pop the tray into the freezer for about 20 - 30 minutes, then brush them with milk and sprinkle with sugar prior to baking.

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