- 1 cinnamon stick
- 2 cloves
- 2 cardamom pods, cracked
- 2 blades mace
- 750ml/1⅓ pint red wine
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 1 vanilla pod, split
- 1 dried chilli
- 200g/7oz caster sugar
- 1 fresh bay leaf
- 1 orange, zest and juice
- 500g/1lb 2oz strawberries, hulled
- 100g/3½oz caster sugar
- 300g/10½oz puff pastry
- For the compôte, tie the cinnamon stick, cloves, cardamom pods and mace up in a small piece of muslin.
- Bring all of the ingredients, except the strawberries, to the boil in a saucepan. Boil for 10 minutes, then set aside to cool for 30 minutes.
- Strain the liquid into a clean saucepan, add the strawberries and simmer for 2-3 minutes, or until the strawberries are soft. Carefully strain the liquid into a saucepan and set the strawberries aside.
- Continue to boil the liquid until the volume has reduced by two-thirds. Pour the liquid onto the reserved strawberries, cover and set aside to cool. Chill in the fridge overnight.
- Meanwhile, for the palmier biscuits, sprinkle sugar onto the work surface (instead of flour) and roll the pastry to a rectangle about 5mm/¼in thick.
- Sprinkle the remaining sugar over the pastry, then roll the two longest sides tightly towards each other until they meet in the middle. Chill in the fridge for 30 minutes.
- Preheat the oven to 180C/350F/Gas 4.
- Cut the pastry into 5mm/¼in slices and place, cut-side up onto a baking tray. Bake for 7-8 minutes, or until golden-brown, then use a palette knife to turn the biscuits over and cook for a further 7-8 minutes. Remove from the oven and carefully transfer to a wire rack to cool.
- To serve, spoon the compôte into glasses or bowls and serve the biscuits alongside.