Equipment
Ingredients
Fruit Base
- 500 g apples, peeled, cored, and cut into 2cm cubes
- 500 g pears, peeled, cored, and cut into 2cm cubes
- 15 ml lemon juice, freshly squeezed
- 15 g coconut oil, melted
Whisky Ginger Glaze
- 60 ml maple syrup
- 45 ml whisky
- 30 g candied ginger, finely minced
- 2 g ground cinnamon
- 1 g salt
- 5 ml vanilla extract
Nutrition (per serving)
Nutrition is estimated per serving. Nutrients without complete source data are omitted.
Full nutrition
- Calories
- 269 kcal
- Protein
- 1 g
- Carbohydrates
- 54 g
- Fat
- 4 g
- Fiber
- 7 g
- Sugar
- 40 g
- Sodium
- 106 mg
- Saturated Fat
- 3 g
- Monounsaturated Fat
- 0 g
- Polyunsaturated Fat
- 0 g
- Potassium
- 318 mg
- Calcium
- 34 mg
- Iron
- 0.4 mg
- Magnesium
- 19 mg
- Phosphorus
- 30 mg
- Zinc
- 0.4 mg
- Vitamin A
- 5 mcg
- Vitamin C
- 13 mg
- Vitamin E
- 0.4 mg
- Vitamin K
- 8 mcg
- Vitamin B6
- 0.1 mg
- Thiamin
- 0.04 mg
- Riboflavin
- 0.08 mg
- Niacin
- 0.3 mg
- Folate
- 13 mcg
- Water
- 216 g
- Alcohol
- 0 g
Sources: Aggregated Public Data, USDA FoodData Central
Method
Preheat your oven to 200°C (400°F). Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper for easy cleanup.
In a large mixing bowl, toss the cubed apples and pears with the lemon juice immediately to prevent browning. Drizzle with the melted coconut oil and toss again until evenly coated.
Spread the fruit in a single layer on the prepared baking sheet. Roast for 20-25 minutes, stirring halfway through, until the fruit is tender and edges are beginning to turn golden brown.
While the fruit roasts, combine maple syrup, whisky, minced candied ginger, cinnamon, and salt in a small saucepan over medium-low heat. Simmer gently for 3-4 minutes to infuse the flavors and slightly reduce the liquid. Remove from heat and stir in the vanilla extract.
Transfer the hot roasted fruit back into the mixing bowl (or directly into the saucepan if large enough). Pour the warm whisky-ginger syrup over the fruit and fold gently to combine without crushing the fruit pieces.
Let the compote rest for at least 10 minutes before serving. This allows the fruit to absorb the spiced syrup.
Chef's Notes
- This compote bridges the gap between sweet and savory. It works beautifully as a dessert over coconut ice cream, or as a side dish for roast pork or duck.
- For the best texture, cut the pears slightly larger than the apples, as pears tend to soften faster in the oven.
- If you want to burn off more alcohol for a milder taste, add the whisky to the saucepan first and boil for 30 seconds before adding the maple syrup.
- Leftover syrup from the bottom of the pan makes an excellent sweetener for oatmeal or tea.
Storage
Refrigerator: 5 days — Store in an airtight container. Flavors meld further over time.
Freezer: 3 months — Texture may become softer upon thawing.
Reheating: Gently warm in a saucepan over low heat or microwave in short bursts.
Troubleshooting
Fruit turned into mush
Cause: Wrong fruit variety used or overcooked
Fix: Puree strictly to make a smooth applesauce instead
Prevention: Use firm baking apples (Honeycrisp, Granny Smith) and firm pears (Bosc); check doneness at 15 minutes
Compote is too dry
Cause: Fruit had low water content or oven was too hot
Fix: Stir in 30-45ml of warm apple cider or water
Prevention: Ensure fruit is fresh; monitor oven temperature
Cultural Context
While compotes originated in medieval Europe as a way to preserve fruit in sugar syrup, this version utilizes roasting—a modern technique that concentrates flavor—and incorporates New World bourbon whisky for a distinctly North American autumn profile.
