8 fruit ahead Recipes

dried fruit compote with sambuca, this quick compote is a good choice for a winter dinner when you have little time to cook but want to make an impression. you can prepare it ahead (it s better made ahead), then spoon it over store-bought ice cream to create an original and memorable dessert. i also like it with blue cheese at the end of a meal, especially if there s a dessert wine on the table., dried peaches or nectarines, cut into 1/4-inch-wide strips, dried pears , cut into 1/4-inch-wide strips, dried apricots, cut into 1/4-inch-wide strips or quartered, golden raisins, dried cherries, water, sugar, cinnamon stick, lemon zest strips, fresh lemon juice, sambuca or other anise liqueur

make ahead cookie mix, white sugar, butter, vanilla extract, egg, chopped walnuts, any flavor fruit jam, egg white

firm-ripe apricots , peaches, or plums, sugar, all-purpose flour, lemon juice, ground cinnamon or mace, salt

ruby port, cinnamon stick, nutmeg, orange , zest of, strips, sultanas, currants, raisins, ready to eat prunes, chopped, sliced almonds, glace cherries, quartered, softened butter, soft brown sugar, organic eggs, beaten, plain flour, cinnamon, mixed spice, ground ginger, orange , zest of, grated

plain yogurt, cream cheese, softened, instant vanilla pudding mix, crushed pineapple, drained well (i go ahead and use a whole small can, even though it may be more than 1/4 cup), coconut extract, imitation rum flavoring/extract

firm-ripe apricots or 3 lbs peaches, sugar or 1/2 cup splenda substitute, flour, lemon juice, ground cinnamon or 1/2 tsp mace, salt