Call it “Jody’s Fruity Flaming Ice Cream Surprise”
I suppose I hadn’t realized it, but Fiona says this has become a family tradition. It took a minute, but sure enough. It does seem like whenever I tell the kids I’m going to make it, they get excited.
It’s really just a recipe for warm berry compote, which is about as easy to make as it gets. Then you just figure out what you want to spoon it over. Ice cream? Cheezecake? Yogurt? A pastry? It works with everything. Have fun experimenting.
The Basics
2 cups of halved strawberries
1 cup of blue berries
1 cup of raspberries
1 stick of unsalted butter
¾ cup of Gran Marnier liqueur
A shot of orange juice
- Sautee the strawberries in the melted butter over high heat.
- After only a minute or so, add the blue berried. Add the raspberries last, as they fall apart quickest.
- Stir together and add the liqueur. Let the mixture bubble furiously. You should start to smell the alcohol from the Gran Marnier as it begins to evaporate.
- As the simmering mixture reduces, flame with a lighter. Don’t do it too quickly or you may be dealing with more of a flambe than you’re prepared for, but with a little practice you’ll nail it. The alcohol will burn away, and the blue flames will cease.
- Stir slightly with a metal or wooden to expose and burn away any excess. Spoon it over your favorite dessert and you’re done!
Variations work great as well. For instance, simply go with blueberries only and ladle over some oatmeal with brown sugar and cinnamon. Blackberries work great too, and go great with ice cream. Another variation is one I do substitutes bananas for the fruit, and Kahlua as the liqueur — but the rest of the steps are all the same.
