Spiced Plum Compote with Plum Pit Cream

• 14 medium (3 1/4 pounds) ripe plums (black or red)
• 2 cinnamon sticks
• 3 star of anise
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 14 plum pits, crushed
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• Fine-mesh stainer
• Ice bath
• Meat tenderizer, hammer, or solid rolling pin

1. Make the plum compote base:
2. Using a knife, quarter 8 plums, reserving the pits.
3. In a small saucepan bring the plum flesh and skins, the spices, and the sugar to a simmer and cook until the fruit begins to dissolve in the cooking liquid, 10 to 15 minutes.
4. Pass the plums through a fine-mesh strainer, using the bottom of a small ladle to push as much of the fruit through the strainer as possible.
5. Return the compote to the saucepan.
6. Finish the compote:
7. Using a knife, carefully halve the remaining 6 plums and cut each half into 3 wedges, reserving the pits.
8. (Do not worry if a little bit of fruit remains stuck to the pit.)
9. Place the plums in the compote base over medium heat and simmer until the fruit is tender bur not falling apart, 4 to 6 minutes.
10. Remove from the heat, transfer to a bowl, and place it in an ice bath to chill.
11. Make the plum pit cream (see "Plum pits and other stone fruit pits" in the Notes section, below):
12. Wash the plum pits and remove any plum flesh that is clinging to them.
13. Using a small sandwich bag or some plastic wrap, seal 3 or 4 pits in plastic.
14. Hold the plastic down firmly on the counter so the plum pits dont move around as you gently smash them with a meat tenderizer, rolling pin, or hammer.
15. Place the smashed pits in a small saucepan and add the cream and sugar.
16. Over medium heat, simmer for 5 minutes.
17. Remove from the heat, and let the cream sit for 10 minutes.
18. Pass the cream through a strainer imo a bowl.
19. Discard the pits.
20. Place the bowl in an ice bath to coo!.
21. Transfer to the refrigerator to chill until the cream is cool enough to whip.
22. Whip the infused cream before serving.
23. Serving Suggestions:
24. Present the compote in a small bowl with a dollop of the infused cream in the middle.
25. Vanilla or cinnamon ice cream is also delicious with this compote.

cinnamon sticks, anise, sugar, pits, heavy cream, sugar, bath

Taken from www.cookstr.com/recipes/spiced-plum-compote-with-plum-pit-cream (may not work)