Compote de Pommes or French Applesauce
This Compote de Pommes or French Applesauce from Dorie Greenspan is a perfect autumn side dish or can be used to fill scrumptious apple turnovers!
Compote de Pommes AKA French Applesauce
My mother-in-law always has a bowl of homemade applesauce cooling on her dining room table when we visit. She uses Golden Delicious apples, and it’s usually necessary to whip up a second batch before we head home.
SO simple; just peel, core, and chop the apples before simmering with a little water and sugar. So making Dorie’s French version of applesauce, or Compote de Pommes, was a breeze.
Her recipe for compote de pommes called for a wee bit of brown sugar plus a splash of vanilla at the end instead of our typical sprinkle of cinnamon. White sugar to taste sweetens the pot. Seriously, no jarred version can compare. I was excited to test our Dorie Greenspan’s French Applesauce to see how they compared.
Chaussons aux Pommes or Apple Turnovers
I did not find the Courtland, McIntosh or Empire varieties Dorie suggested, but Jonagold worked just fine. I like my sauce a little chunky so skipped the extra step of running it through the food mill.
I also used Dorie’s Bonne Idée and prepared a few apple turnovers,which was as elementary as cutting out puff pastry rounds, dolloping a scant tablespoon of applesauce in the center, folding, sealing and baking. Of course, if you’d like your chaussons aux pommes a little more elegant, just paint with an egg wash, crimp the edges with a fork and sprinkle with coarse sugar.
After baking for just 20 minutes at 400º, the puffed beauties were pulled out of the oven. Both the sauce and the turnovers were eaten with gusto.
Our oldest, Tom, popped over to help Mr. Skinny Chick with some manly chores, changing a headlight bulb, adjusting the ridiculously heavy Big Green Egg, and helping me figure out why my photo editing software wasn’t recognizing my camera. He earned his keep and mounded his plate full of food both my sons tend to do. Plus he happily ate a couple turnovers as well. I am slightly envious of his metabolism. And the hubby decided these were perfectly acceptable for breakfast, too.
Compote de Pommes or French Applesauce
A French applesauce adapted from Dorie Greenspan, Around My French Table
Ingredients
- 2 pounds (6 medium) apples, preferably red apples like Empire, Cortland or McIntosh
- About 1/4 cup water
- 1 tablespoon brown sugar
- 1/4 cup sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 2 tablespoons butter, for thicker compote (optional)
Instructions
- Peel and core the apples. Slice each into about 8 pieces. Place in a medium saucepan.
- Stir in 1/4 cup of water and brown sugar. Cook, stirring frequently over medium-low heat. Continue until the apples are soft enough to be crushed with the back of a spoon. If the pan looks too dry, add a little more water as you cook. This process will take about 15-20 minutes.
- If you want regular compote de pommes, remove the pan from the heat and run the compote through a food mill. If you prefer chunky applesauce, mash with a potato masher. If your applesauce is too runny, just cook for a few more minutes.
- Taste and add more sugar if needed. Mix in vanilla and butter. Cover with plastic wrap and chill.
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
4 servingsServing Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 159Total Fat: 6gSaturated Fat: 4gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 2gCholesterol: 15mgSodium: 48mgCarbohydrates: 28gFiber: 2gSugar: 25gProtein: 0g
60 Comments on “Compote de Pommes or French Applesauce”
Hi! How long can this compote keep for? Is there a good way to store it?
Hi, Kristen,
It should be fine for a week in the refrigerator. I’d store it in a covered container. It also can be frozen. Hope you enjoy!
I love applesauce but haven’t made it in years. This sounds fantastic and my daughter who just came in town asked me to go apple picking with her this week. So now we’ve definitely got another recipe to add to the pot.
Those turnovers look beautiful! I ended up eating most of the applesauce just as it was – it was that good.
Your turnovers look beautiful. And I agree with your husband. They are definitely an acceptable breakfast!
I like your apple turnovers – I wish I’d made some too.
Your apple turnovers look great! I just ate my apples neat.
Such a versatile sauce…love chunky too! My son is my techie guru also…only it’s getting more difficult to grab him with his travel, etc.
One of those hand pies would go really well right about now.
It’s amazing what a little bit of heat and sugar can do for one of my favorite fruits.
Yum, I love the sound of your turnovers. Hmmm applesauce…yummy deliciousness. Homemade is the best…for sure!
Love turnovers. I used to make so much applesauce when my little one was little:)…I just got bored of it. I got to make a batch now, your dish looks awesome.
Your turnovers look delicious! I envy how much you get done and aspire to be like you! Thank you for the hugs. Support from friends truly helps!
Liz, looking delicious – I really like that you made some lovely apple turnovers as well as the apple compote – although I was a day late posting, we really enjoyed the apple compote as well!
Have a fabulous Sunday!
I love applesauce. Unfortunately I’m not the only one and the batches I make never make it into any apple recipes. 🙂 These turnovers are beautiful!
That’s certainly an amazing coincidence that we both posted apple sauce recipes! I’ve never tried apple sauce with vanilla, preferring cinnamon and cloves but I’ll try this xx
Those look exactly like the apple turnovers I used to buy as a child when my mother gave me 20 cents (yes that’s right) for my school lunch. The pastry was crisp and the apples tart – yum!
I love home made applesauce, though I’d have to put mine through the ricer first. It sill looks delicious. Can you please pass that plate of turnovers?
thoroughly addictive,thanks for this wonderful recipe
Love that you have a family memory of getting this at your mother in laws- fabulous. I am dying for one of those turn overs, they really look amazing. You also had me chuckling at the to do list & payment re: your son’s visit. Sounds about like my house. And don’t get me started on metabolism envy….Mrs. Skinny Chick 🙂 Great job !!!
Beautiful apple compote… love the turner-overs too. 🙂