Compote of summer berries with scented geranium leaves

Sometimes when you are entertaining or even just fancy a dessert, you don't always want to spend hours on making something or actually want anything to heavy, sometimes its nice to offer a gorgeous chocolate torte with some lovely fresh fruit and cream, well this dessert ticks all of the above boxes.

Its summery, fragrant and delicate, if you are not one for perfumed food, then this clearly is not for you, but I love anything geranium, rose or violet flavoured, so this dessert was just heaven for me.

Again it was part of the gorgeous summer menu from Country Living and again Hubby was not impressed, but like I said on a previous post, its just so full of summer sunshine, romantic and delicious on a hot barmy day.

I brought my geranium plant about a year or so ago, it was recommended somewhere in a magazine, most likely Country Living as being a perfect one for culinary use. You may or may not know, but everyday geraniums (Pelargonium) are just not up to the job, the culinary ones are so over the top fragrant and have a much smaller flower than the bedding variety. If unsure, ask at your local garden centre and they can point you in the right direction.

You can even make scented sugar from the leaves, perfect for making cupcakes with or a scented butter cream and the flowers look so pretty used as cake decorations.

I love mine and when I am not using it in cooking it makes a lovely fragrant house plant, so an all round winner.

Buon appetito

350ml dry white wine
300g granulated sugar
broad strip of lemon zest (no white pith)
8 scented geranium leaves
juice of 1/2 lemon
225g raspberries
225g tayberries or loganberries (or a mixture of both)
225g small strawberries, hulled
225g redcurrants, de-stalked (I left these out as I really don't like them)

Put the white wine and sugar into a saucepan with the lemon zest and geranium leaves.

Heat gently to dissolve the sugar, then simmer for a couple of minutes. Remove from the heat and leave to infuse.

Add lemon juice to taste, but be careful not to overwhelm the floral flavour, I left the lemon out as I just wanted it sweet and floral. Chill or leave at room temperature.

Put the fruit into a broad shallow bowl (to prevent them being squashed), I used my late Nan's gorgeous crystal bowl, its so retro its cool! Pour over the scented syrup.

Serve with Madeleines or shortbread, along with whipped cream sweetened with icing sugar.

I didn't want to drown the fruit in syrup and didn't use as many berries as it was just for myself and Hubby, so the left over syrup I have stored in a bottle and will use to pour over ice cream and make cupcakes with.