August 19, 2020

The Best Cherry Bourbon Compote

This cherry bourbon compote is a sweet summer treat, perfect for topping ice cream and breakfast foods, like pancakes and waffles. I am even thinking of putting it on homemade pizza with a shake of confectioner’s sugar on top!

Cherry Bourbon Compote Uses

And one of my favorite things to do with summer fruit is to turn it into a yummy compote to top rich vanilla ice cream. No one really wants to bake during the summer months, so having a mason jar of this chunky cherry bourbon compote in the fridge is perfect for topping vanilla ice cream. You can also can it and bring it to your friends and neighbors as a sweet summer housewarming gift.

Prepare Cherries

If you’ve never pitted cherries before, my little secret is to use a pastry tip. Place the pastry tip on a no-slip cutting board. Place the indentation in the top of the cherry down on the pastry tip and the pit pushes right out through the bottom of the cherry. It’s a little messy, so make sure you’re wearing a dark shirt or something you don’t mind getting cherry juice on. Or, you can order a cherry pitter from Amazon. I love the OXO brand.

Make Cherry Bourbon Compote

Once you’ve pitted the cherries, combine them with the brown sugar, granulated sugar, bourbon, and lemon zest in a heavy bottom pot and bring to a boil. At first it will be dry, but as the cherries start to release their juices, it will become a sauce. Simmer it down for about half an hour and let cool! The bourbon adds another dimension of flavor to the compote, as does the lemon zest. You can make it without either, but it’s better with both!

Cherry Bourbon Compote

Ingredients

3 Cups Fresh Cherries Pitted
1 Cup Brown Sugar Lightly Packed
1 Cup Granulated Sugar
6 tsp Bourbon
1 tsp Lemon Zest

Instructions

Over medium hight heat, mix all ingredients together in a heavy bottomed pan.
Once simmering, reduce heat to low and simmer for approximately 25 minutes to allow the compote to reduce.