Stewed Fruits

It's Spring! It's sunny and current temps are screaming for ice cream, and fruits. Spiced stewed fruits and vanilla bean ice cream. Yum!

For this recipe I combined fresh apples and dried fruits (apricots, Calimyrna and Mission figs, and prunes). 

Stewed Fruits

4 cups water
1 cinnamon stick, broken
1 teaspoon vanilla paste or half a vanilla bean
juice and zest of 1 lemon
a thin slice of fresh ginger, optional
½ cup raw sugar
2 apples - peeled, cored, and cut into 8 pieces
3 ounces dried apricots
8 dried Calimyrna or Mission figs
½ cup dried plums (prunes)

• Place first 6 ingredients in a saucepan; heat while stirring until sugar is completely dissolved. Add apples, apricots, and figs (if using Mission figs, add later with prunes). Let simmer, covered, for 20 minutes. Remove and transfer fruits onto a plate; cover and set aside. 
• Add prunes (and Mission figs, if using) to the stewing liquid and let simmer, covered for 10 minutes, adding a little water if it appears too dry. Turn heat off and mix in apples and apricots. Transfer into a jar. Serve warm with vanilla ice cream, plain yogurt, breakfast cereals, or topped with lightly sweetened whipped cream.