Warm Fruit Compote with Lemon Verbena and Creme Fraiche

• 1 vanilla bean, halved lengthwise
• 1 cup sugar
• 2 cups water
• 1/2 cup fresh lemon verbena or mint
• 24 small whole (Mediterranean) dried apricots (6 oz)
• 1 1/2 lb firm apples such as Gala, Empire, or Golden Delicious
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• Accompaniment: creme fraiche

1. Scrape seeds from vanilla bean with point of a paring knife into a 5- to 6-quart wide saucepan (a wide pan minimizes breakage of apples) and add pod, sugar, water, and lemon verbena.
2. Simmer, stirring until sugar is dissolved, 10 minutes.
3. Add apricots and a pinch of salt and simmer, partially covered, until tender, about 10 minutes.
4. While apricots are simmering, peel and core apples and cut each into eighths.
5. Add apples to syrup and simmer, uncovered, until just tender, 5 to 7 minutes.
6. Remove from heat and stir in butter until melted.

vanilla bean, sugar, water, lemon verbena, firm apples, unsalted butter, creme fraiche

Taken from www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/warm-fruit-compote-with-lemon-verbena-and-creme-fraiche-104009 (may not work)