Someday I want to write a cookbook called Back Pocket Desserts. What do you think? Would you buy it? It would be filled with recipes like this one—quick and simple sweets that keep for a while, so that you’re always prepared when it’s 9:30pm, your kid is finally asleep, and you definitely deserve a little treat.

I love anything strawberry-rhubarb—cakes, muffins, crumbles, crisps. But let’s face the cold, hard truth: we can’t eat baked goods every single day. This compote is the best part of those desserts, minus all the floury carbs. It’s like the strawberry-rhubarb equivalent of eating a small piece of dark chocolate instead of a giant brownie.

You can serve this over vanilla frozen yogurt, ice cream, coconut sorbet, or your favorite vegan ice cream. It’s also a great breakfast treat—try it stirred into Greek yogurt or oatmeal. If you don’t have vanilla beans, you can substitute 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract. This compote will keep for about two weeks in the fridge.

Strawberry Rhubarb Vanilla Bean Compote

Servings 8

Author Lucy Baker

Ingredients

3 cups sliced strawberries about 1 pint
3 cups diced rhubarb about 1/2 pound
1/3 cup granulated sugar
Freshly squeezed juice of 1 small orange
1/2 vanilla bean split and seeds scraped

Instructions

Combine the strawberries, rhubarb, sugar, and orange juice in a medium, heavy-bottomed saucepan. Stir in the vanilla seeds and split bean. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, then reduce the heat and simmer, stirring occasionally, until the fruit has broken down and the sauce is thickened, about 10 to 15 minutes. Remove from the heat and let cool. Remove and discard the vanilla bean. Store the compote in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.