Warm Mushroom Apple Compote

Compote, from the French for a cooked fruit mixture, takes a woodland turn in this American skillet dessert. Tart apples soften with finely diced cremini mushrooms in butter, maple, and warm spice for an earthy-sweet ice cream topping.

Serves 6 · 15 min prep · 20 min cook

Estimate for one serving

• 195 cal
• 2g protein
• 36g carbs
• 6g fat
• 3g fiber

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Ingredients

• 4 medium tart apples
• 6 oz cremini mushrooms
• 3 tbsp unsalted butter
• 1/2 cup light brown sugar
• 2 tbsp maple syrup
• 1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp ground allspice
• 2 fresh thyme sprigs
• 1/4 tsp kosher salt
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/4 cup water or apple cider
• for serving vanilla ice cream or pound cake

Instructions

1. 1Peel, core, and cut the apples into even 1/2-inch chunks so they cook at the same rate and hold their shape in the finished sauce.
2. 2Wipe the mushrooms, trim stems, and dice them small so they melt into the compote and add earthy depth without dominating texture.
3. 3Melt the butter in a 10-inch skillet over medium heat until it foams and smells nutty.
4. 4Add the diced mushrooms and salt; sauté 4 to 5 minutes, stirring often, until they release their liquid and begin to brown at the edges.
5. 5Tip in the apple chunks, brown sugar, maple syrup, cinnamon, allspice, thyme sprigs, and the remaining salt; stir to coat everything in the buttery spices.
6. 6Pour in the water or cider and lemon juice, then bring the mixture to a gentle simmer.
7. 7Reduce heat to medium-low and cook uncovered 12 to 15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the apples are tender but not mushy and the liquid has thickened into a glossy syrup.
8. 8Remove the thyme sprigs, stir in the vanilla, and taste; the compote should be sweetly spiced with a subtle savory backbone from the mushrooms.
9. 9Let it bubble one more minute if you want it thicker, then take the skillet off the heat.
10. 10Spoon the warm compote generously over vanilla ice cream, plain pound cake, or yogurt for a crowd-pleasing skillet dessert that travels well to any backyard table.