Spring Fruit Compote Recipe

Berries, pineapple and dried apricots meld in a light syrup of Grand Marnier or orange juice.

 Ingredients:
 

• 1/2  cup Grand Marnier (orange liqueur) or orange juice
• 2  tablespoons orange marmalade
• 1/2  cup quartered dried apricots
• Grated zest and sectioned fruit of 1 navel orange
• 1  fresh pineapple, peeled, cored and cubed
• 4  pints fresh berries: strawberries, raspberries, blueberries and blackberries

Cooking Instructions:

 
   1. Combine Grand Marnier, marmalade, dried apricots, orange zest and sections, and pineapple up to 24 hours in advance.
   2. Up to 1 hour before serving, rinse berries. Hull strawberries and slice. Halve blackberries if they are large. Leave blueberries and raspberries whole. Toss berries, as gently as possible, with marinated fruit.

Texas Sheet Cake

 Ingredients

  —  Cake:
        Cooking spray
        2  cups all-purpose flour
        1 3/4  cups sugar
        1  teaspoon baking soda
        1/4  teaspoon salt

        1  cup (2 sticks) butter, cut into small pieces
        1  cup water

        1/3  cup unsweetened cocoa
        2  eggs
        1/2  cup buttermilk
        1  teaspoon vanilla extract

 —  Frosting:
       3  egg yolks
       1  cup evaporated milk, divided
       1  teaspoon vanilla extract
       1  cup sugar
       1/2  cup butter, cut into small pieces
       1 1/3  cups flaked, sweetened coconut
       1  cup chopped pecans

Instructions:

   1. Preheat oven to 350F. Coat a 13-by-9-by-2-inch baking pan with cooking spray.
   2. To prepare the cake, sift flour, sugar, baking soda and salt into a large bowl.
   3.  In a small saucepan, combine butter, water and cocoa. Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until butter melts and mixture comes to a simmer.
   4.   Add cocoa mixture, eggs, buttermilk and vanilla to flour mixture; stir to combine. Pour into pan and bake 30 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in the middle comes out clean. Cool on wire rack. Do not remove from pan.
   5.  To prepare the frosting, whisk egg yolks and about 1/3 cup milk in a saucepan. Add remaining milk, vanilla and sugar. Add butter; cook over medium heat, stirring with a wooden spoon, until it comes to a full boil. Reduce heat to maintain boil and cook, stirring frequently, 7 minutes or until thick. Remove from heat and stir in coconut and pecans. Cool, stirring occasionally, until thick enough to spread.
   6. Spread frosting over top of cake.