Winter Fruit Compote

Ingredients

½ cup sugar

1/3 cup water

½ vanilla bean, split lengthwise

1 ½ teaspoon fresh lime or lemon juice

1 tablespoon butter

1 Golden Delicious or other sweet, firm apple, peeled, cored, and cut into approximately ½” cubes

1 kiwi, sliced in ¼” thick slices

½ cup cubed, fresh pineapple

¼ cup dried cranberries

Directions

Combine sugar and water in a small, heavy saucepan. Scrape vanilla bean seeds into the pan, and then add the shell of the bean. Stir over low heat until the sugar dissolves. Boil over high heat for one minute.  Cool the syrup completely.

Transfer the cooled syrup to a bowl and discard vanilla bean shell. Stir in lemon or lime juice. Cover and chill until cold, at least 1 hour overnight.

Melt butter in skillet over medium heat. Add apple pieces and sauté for about 2 minutes or until slightly soft.

Add sautéed apples, plus kiwi, dried cranberries and pineapple to the syrup and stir gently to coat all the fruit. Serve in a small bowl alongside warned Panera Holiday Bread