• 2 cups berries (any kind or a mixture)
  
• 1/4 cup confectioners' sugar
  
• 1 cup champagne or ginger ale
  
• 1 cup heavy cream, softly whipped
  
• 2 cups whole berries
  
• Meringue cookies
  
• Warm honey

2 cups of mixed berries -- strawberries, blueberries, blackberries, raspberries -- into a big bowl. Mash with a fork, adding confectioners' sugar to sweeten. Pour in enough champagne or ginger ale to make a soupy sauce.

Whip cream and divide between 4 or 6 bowls. Ladle the berries and their champagne sauce over the cream.

Top with fresh berries. Add a few meringue cookies, 2 or 3, to each serving.

Warm honey in the microwave oven so it will pour like syrup. Pass warm honey at the table to drizzle over the compote.

Makes about 4 servings, maybe 6.

First Published: July 14, 2004, 4:00 a.m.