Whether you have some red wine left over from a gift hamper or a fun dinner party, or you simply enjoy cooking with wine, stewed fruits are a great way of warming up during the cold winter months. While wine is often associated with savoury dishes, it also has its place in dessert recipes.  This stewed fruit recipe is easy and delicious. Once you try it for the first time, you’ll want to share it with all of your friends and family!
 
Ingredients:

  • 1 ½ cup dried apricots
  • 1 ½ cup dried prunes
  • 1 ½ cup honey
  • ¾ cup red wine
  • 1 stick of cinnamon
  • 1 ¼ cup orange juice (fresh squeezed)

 
Instructions:

  • Heat your oven to 200 degrees Celcius
  • Chop the prunes and apricots into large chunks
  • Combine the fruit with al of the other ingredients
  • Place everything in a 13 x 9 inch baking tray.
  • Back for approximately 40 – 50 minutes or until the fruit becomes tender and the liquid gets thicker

 
Handy hints:

  • If you want to make a non-alcoholic version of this dessert, you can use a natural grape juice instead of the wine.
  • You can substitute the fruit as you wish. Cherries, peaches, and cranberries are great for those who enjoy a tangy taste. Sweeter fruits include raisins, prunes, apricots, and pears.
  • As a dessert, you can serve your stewed fruit along with ice cream or yogurt. You can even use stewed fruit to top your pancakes.
  • If you want to add a hint of sweetness to a savoury dish, you can serve stewed fruit along with chicken, pork, or even duck.
  • When shopping for berries to stew, you should always make sure that they are ripe. They should not be under ripe or over ripe. You should also inspect your fruit properly before using it. Even dried fruit can be affected over time and if you notice any signs of decay or mould, they should be discarded completely.
  • Remember to serve stewed fruit hot or warm. Even if you serve it with ice cream, the flavours are most pleasant when the fruit and sauce is still warm.