Easy Apple Compote with Golden Raisins and Warm Spices

I know, i know, why am i sharing a compote recipe in the middle of summer, but well we do have lots of cheap apples in season and a compote is a good way to make use of leftover fruits, if those apples are starting to look a bit tired in the fruit bowl… time for a compote!

This particular batch came about with a mix of crisp red apples and a couple of very tart green ones and some golden raisins that were left from another recipe, add some spices and voilá, easy peasy!

One thing to note is that I tend to make these with none or very little added sugar, because i like them that way i don’t like overly sweet things, but you can of course adjust it to your taste and mix of apples (if you use just tart apples for example), let’s get to the recipe!

Easy Apple Compote with Golden Raisins and Warm Spices

Servings: 4
Time: 1hr
Difficulty: Normal
Rating: ★★★★★
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If you got some bad apples, you gotta deal with them, see, they are bad new, see, so better make a smooth and delicious compote... seeeee ;D

Ingredients

Red Apple – 3 (Fuji or Gala)
Green Apple – 2
Golden Raisins – 30gr
Sugar – 1 Tablespoon (15gr)
Cinnamon – 1/2 Teaspoons
Water – 2 Tablespoons
Nutmeg – A Pinch
Clove – A Pinch

Directions

Start by tossing your finely diced green and red apples into a small saucepan, then add the sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, and clove. Give it a quick stir so the spices coat the apple pieces evenly.
Now add a bit of water, about 2 tablespoons, just to help the apples begin releasing their own juices without catching or scorching on the bottom of the pan, i dont want to caramelize the apples.
Cover the pan and set it over low heat, around 105ºC to 120ºC (220ºF to 250ºF) if you’re working off a thermometer, let it simmer away, stirring occasionally every 5 to 10 minutes so nothing sticks.
At around the 25-minute mark, halfway through cooking, stir in the handful of golden raisins. This gives them just enough time to soak up the remaining apple juices and plump up nicely without turning to mush.
For the last 5 to 10 minutes, take the lid off the pan. This lets any extra moisture cook away until the compote reaches that thick, spreadable, jam-like consistency, almost like a chunky paste rather than a runny sauce.
Once it’s thick enough to hold its shape on a spoon, it’s ready. Let it cool slightly before spooning it into your jar and store in the fridge, or use it warm straight away as a filling. Enjoy!

Notes & Tips: Do note that this is a fresh compote, so please keep it in the fridge and consume it all in the space of a week, these arent cooked enough and even enough sugar to be a long-lasting preserve!

Dice the apples small and evenly, the smaller the pieces, the more evenly they break down and the less likely you’ll end up with chunky bits.

Mixing a tart green apple with a sweeter red one gives the best balance, all-sweet apples can make the compote taste a little flat without more sugar to compensate.

If your raisins seem dry or tough going in, soak them in warm water for 5 minutes first and pat them dry, they’ll plump up faster once added to the pan.

Taste it around the 40-minute mark, this is the easiest moment to adjust sweetness or spice before the mixture thickens too much to stir easily.

Want it a little richer, A small pat of butter stirred in during the last 5 minutes adds a nice silky finish, especially if you’re using this as a cake filling.

This recipe scales well, doubling the apples roughly doubles the yield, and the cooking time stays close to the same since you’re mainly reducing moisture, not cooking raw fruit through.

This is good for a lot of other recipes, from cupcakes, to just mixing with vanilla yogurt, swirled into oatmeal, spread on warm toast, or layered between crepes.

This recipe for Easy Apple Compote with Golden Raisins and Warm Spices was originally created on BakeAfter.com.