Orange, apple and berry compote with icecream and chocolate almond biscuits

Tam West

The combination of stewed fruit, icecream and a plain biscuit is one I can't resist. This is a deluxe version. The Chocolate almond biscuits are based on a recipe from the Silver Palette Cookbook by Julie Rosso and Sheila Lukins. They are good made one day in advance and stored in an airtight container as they become moister and slightly chewy.

Chocolate almond biscuits

125 g	Butter
75 g	Brown sugar
90 g	Caster sugar
1	Egg
1 tsp	Pure vanilla extract
120 g	Flour
35 g	Cocoa powder, sifted
½ tsp	Baking soda
½ cup	Sliced almonds (Main)
2 Tbsp	Icing sugar
1 tsp	Ground cinnamon

Orange, apple and berry compote

1	Orange, thinly sliced (Main)
1	Apple, peeled, cored, and thinly sliced
150 g	Caster sugar
1	Cinnamon stick
150 ml	Red wine
500 g	Mixed berries, frozen are fine (Main)
1 serving	Vanilla ice cream, to serve

Directions

1. Heat the oven to 180C. Line a couple of oven trays with baking paper.
2. Beat the butter and sugars until pale and creamy. Beat in the egg and vanilla.
3. Thoroughly stir in the flour, cocoa, baking soda and sliced almonds.
4. Place large teaspoonfuls in well-spaced rows on the oven trays. Place in the oven and bake 8-10 minutes but be careful not to let them burn. Cool on a rack.
5. Mix the icing sugar and cinnamon and dust the biscuits well with this mixture before serving.

Orange, apple and berry compote

1. Put the orange slices in a small saucepan and cover well with water. Bring to the boil over high heat and simmer 3 minutes. Remove from the heat and drain well.
2. Put the orange slices, apple, sugar, cinnamon and wine into a saucepan and bring to the boil. Simmer 5 minutes or until the apple is soft.
3. Add the berries, bring back to the boil, remove from the heat, cool and chill.
4. Serve the compote with scoops of icecream and the biscuits on the side.

See more of Ray's nuts and berries recipes

• Circassian chicken
• Roast belly pork with Catalan greens