Monday, November 16, 2009

Spiced Peach Compote with Apple Cider Mousse

I was emptying out my fridge the other day and whew, found some coconut milk that I had forgotten about. That was the stinkiest smell that I think I have ever smelled, except for when I worked in the hospital and caught a whiff of rotting flesh (gangrene). Sorry so graphic, but man, I am here to tell you- never let your coconut milk go bad!

So anyway I did find some spiced peach compote in there. Hmmm. And I found some cider caramel. Now you might be asking yourself why I have some cider caramel in my fridge and exactly what is cider caramel. Well, it was an experiment gone bad. I had some cider that was getting close to the fermenting stage- it hadnt started yet but it was close. I boiled it down on the stove, it reduced and reduced until it was very thick. I started with sweet cider and ended up with very tart cider caramel. Who knew I should have added sugar. Well I didnt and now next time I make it I know. And make it I will if not just for the fact that I can make some of this tastey mousse again.

So there it is a story of an experiment that brought about something tastey.

Spiced Peach Compote
scaled down a bit

4 peaches, chopped or 2 cups frozen
1/2 cup sugar (give or take depending on how sweet your peaches are)
1 cinnamon stick or 1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 clove or 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves

Combine all the ingredients in a sauce pan and cook down until peaches have nearly dissolved away and the mixture has thickened a bit. If you find that your mixture is thin, in a small cup combine a 1/2 tablespoon of cornstarch and 1 1/2 tablespoons of water. Combine and stir into peach mixture.

Apple Cider Mousse

3 tablespoons carmelized cider (or caramel would be a great subsitute)
3 ounces cream cheese
3 tablespoons sugar
1 1/2 cups heavy whipping cream
2 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla

In a bowl combine caramel, cream cheese and sugar. Whip until light.
In a seperate bowl combine whipping cream, sugar and vanilla. Mix until mixture is thick and forms stiff peaks. Gently fold the whipped cream into the caramel mixture.

13 comments:

ann low said...

This is a beautiful dessert, would like to add this in my to do list :)

giz said...

How does something end up so good when it starts off so bad??? peeeeeuuuuuwwww

Velva said...

This is a very nice dessert. Simple to prepare but elegant. Very nice!

Çilli Begonyalar said...

it looks nice Lori :)

grace said...

apple cider mousse? are you kidding me? my goodness, who needs compote when there’s apple cider mousse to be devoured? what a lovely seasonal treat, lori!

kat said...

Oh, that sounds good but now you have me worrying that I have a can of coconut milk going bad in the fridge

Mary Bergfeld said...

What a lovely seasonal treat, Lori.
There is an air of elegance about it that makes it especially appealing.

Ingrid_3Bs said...

I wish my "mistakes" turned out looking (& tasting) as yummy yours do.

LOL, first paragraph? Bad way to start a food post! LOL!
~ingrid

Lynn said...

Sounds like you came up with a successful experiment. Good job to you, for using up those little refrigerator tidbits :)

Katy ~ said...

Lori, what an intriguing combination of ingredients, apple mouse and peaches. The more I think about it the better it sounds. The dessert looks elegant and I'll bet it tastes that way too.

Donna-FFW said...

Gorgeous dessert, I love the layered look and the apple cider mousse, fantastic idea!

Murasaki Shikibu said...

Your focus on making something yummy is refreshing. Sometimes I feel people get too caught up in other issues in their cooking.

Julie said...

Beautiful dessert for sure! I hate when I get stinky things in my fridge...especially when I can't find them!