Prune Cardamom Night Hearth

Prune juice gives this cup a deep, dried-fruit sweetness, with orange peel adding fragrance and cardamom a small aromatic twist. The water keeps it lighter than a straight glass of warm juice. Remove the peel before it turns bitter, and keep the cardamom to a tiny pinch. This is a gently spiced evening drink with a rounded finish, especially suited to someone who likes the flavor of compote but would rather have a small cup than a bowl of dessert.

Ingredients

• 6 oz Water
• 2 oz Prune juice
• 1 strip Washed orange peel, with little white pith
• 1 tiny pinch Ground cardamom

Make it

1. Prepare the fruit as listed, removing all stones, cores and hard stems.
2. Put the water and all remaining ingredients in a small saucepan. Bring to a gentle simmer and cook for 5–7 minutes until any fresh fruit has softened.
3. Mash softened fruit gently, then strain if you prefer a smoother cup. Remove whole peel, herbs or ginger pieces. Serve comfortably warm.

Benefits

Prune · a potassium contribution

Prune supplies some potassium for maintaining normal fluid balance; pairing it with orange peel and cardamom adds another layer to the flavor.

The cardamom detail

Here cardamom supplies a fragrant, almost citrusy warmth, with prune and orange peel turning that familiar ingredient into a different kind of warm cup.