Simple Cinnamon Berry Compote

Today I have a guest post! It is my Dad, Granddad to my kiddos, and Dennis Green to the rest of the world. Growing up my Dad loved to take over in the kitchen to make special breakfasts and special treats (often involving ice cream or chocolate and peanut butter), today is no different. In order to give me a little break he sent me one of his tried and true quick dessert recipes. I expected just a simple ingredient list with a few directions, but he went the extra mile and created a whole article for me (Thanks Dad!). So without further blathering from me, here it is.

In the early days of our marriage my wife and I enjoyed making and sampling cobblers. Now that we are following a grain free lifestyle we have adjusted our repertoire a bit. In order to get the warm and fruity goodness of our beloved cobblers without the grain I started making this incredibly simple cinnamon berry compote. I originally designed it to top ice cream for a dessert, but this sauce can really top yogurt, pudding, grain free pancakes and whatever else you can think of. I don't add any sugar to this (God made fruit presweetened) to let the fruit and cinnamon shine through. My favorite part about enjoying this compote over ice cream is the contrast between the warm floral sauce and the creamy cold of ice cream. 

Simple Cinnamon Berry Compote

Organic Frozen Berry Mix (this one contained Strawberries, Blueberries, Raspberries, Cherries, and Pomegranate), 1 cup

Organic Cinnamon (ground), 1 teaspoon

Filtered water, 1/4 cup

In a stainless steel sauce pan, add the water, frozen fruit, and cinnamon.  Using a low-medium heat stir the mixture until hot and the fruit and water turn into a sauce consistency.  As the mixture starts to heat you can really smell the cinnamon, it may seem strong but in the end it will not overpower the fruit.  The cinnamon smell sure is nice while you are watching the topping to make sure it doesn't overheat.  This is not really a pot you can walk away and forget about, just enjoy the sensations and smell of it all congealing to that perfect consistency (*takes about 5-7 minutes).  I like to break up the strawberries with a big stainless steel spoon so they are more or less the same size as the rest of the fruit pieces (*I use an immersion blender here, because I like it more saucy).  Once I am satisfied with the consistency of the fruit topping I turn off the heat and allow it to cool (it will thicken slightly as it cools). Serve over ice cream (or other dish) while still warm. Yum yum.

*Rachael's notes

Makes approximately 1 cup

Serves 2

38 calories

10g carbohydrates

3g fiber

7 net carbs

1g protein

1g fat

6g sugar