Active Time

　　15 min

　　Total Time

　　20 min

　　The thing Hom likes most about this dessert is the contrast of the warm, sweet fruit and the cold, tangy crème fraîche.

　　Active time: 15 min Start to finish: 20 min

　　

Ingredients

Makes 8 servings

　　1 vanilla bean, halved lengthwise

　　1 cup sugar

　　2 cups water

　　1/2 cup fresh lemon verbena or mint

　　24 small whole (Mediterranean) dried apricots (6 oz)

　　1 1/2 lb firm apples such as Gala, Empire, or Golden Delicious

　　2 tablespoons unsalted butter

　　Accompaniment: crème fraîche

　　

Step 1

Scrape seeds from vanilla bean with point of a paring knife into a 5- to 6-quart wide saucepan (a wide pan minimizes breakage of apples) and add pod, sugar, water, and lemon verbena. Simmer, stirring until sugar is dissolved, 10 minutes. Add apricots and a pinch of salt and simmer, partially covered, until tender, about 10 minutes.

　　

Step 2

While apricots are simmering, peel and core apples and cut each into eighths. Add apples to syrup and simmer, uncovered, until just tender, 5 to 7 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in butter until melted.

　　Cooks' note:

　　•Compote can be made 1 day ahead and chilled, covered. Reheat before serving.