Prune compote has always been a favorite for us, and is as classic a Scandinavian dessert as they come. This old school dessert is also incredibly quick and easy to make.
Our variations on this Norwegian/Scandinavian classic adheres to my cooking philosophy:
“Everything tastes better with Option A) Alcohol, Option B) Bacon, or Option C) Both Option A) and Option B)”
You may quote me on that.
And since bacon pairs poorly with prunes (ok, so that’s just an assumption…maybe…?), I have opted for Option A) Alcohol.
What you’re after is a fortified wine. I usually use a half decent ruby Port wine (Cockburn’s Special Reserve to be precise) or a Madeira because that’s what I have easy access to, but I am sure a Malaga sweet wine or something similar on Pedro Ximenez would be amazing too.
Should you want an alcohol free variation, Earl Grey tea pairs incredibly well with prunes, so simply cold steep some tea in the water before making the dessert. It is sooo good!
Ingredients
- 100 g sugar
- 2 tbsp corn starch
- 70 g port wine (or madeira)
- 500 g water
- 500 g prunes
Method
The prunes we get in Norway these days are so soft and plumped up that you really don’t have to cook them at all, but my grandmothers had to soak them overnight, the simmer them for 20 minutes to make then fully rehydrate and become soft. This method and recipe is for “modern” soft prunes, so keep that in mind if yours are “old fashioned”.
Put a 1-2 liter pot on a scale, then measure directly into it. First measure and mix the sugar and corn starch. Tare the scale, then add water and the fortified wine and stir well. Tare the scale, add the prunes, put the pot on your stovetop at medium heat and bring to a simmer.
Once it has thickened, transfer immediately to a serving bowl and cover with either a lid or a little bit of plastic wrap to prevent skin forming on it’s surface. Let cool to room temperature.
While I like to pour over a bit of whipping cream, Lumi prefers whole milk. And maybe a small glass of matching fortified wine. Now that’s a recipe for real mouthgasm.
Sounds delicious