apricot preserves

Cheese encased in pastry and baked until brown might seem like an old-fashioned dish, but it’s one of the most reliable ways to please a small group of omnivorous people. Flaky pastry, warm, runny cheese, what’s not to like? Baking is also a great way to turn a mediocre wheel of cheese into something great. Cut the wheel in half, sandwich it with something savory and something sweet and wrap it up tightly with pastry. If you want to replace it with Brie, or another soft cheese with an edible rind, feel free — just make sure there aren’t gaps in the sides of the pastry, or the cheese will leak out in the oven.

Baked Camembert Salad

bacon, chopped

white onion, chopped

thyme leaves

Crunchy sea salt,

black pepper,

puff pastry, thawed

All-purpose flour,

egg, lightly beaten

(9-ounce) wheel Camembert, sliced in half horizontally

fruit preserves,

head radicchio or other juicy, slightly bitter salad leaf

olive oil

red-wine vinegar

Toss the bacon into a skillet over medium heat, and allow the fat to render, stirring occasionally, about 2 minutes. Add the onion and thyme leaves, reduce the heat to low and let the onion sweat in the bacon fat until it’s totally soft and the bacon is cooked through and lightly browned, stirring occasionally, about 8 minutes. Season with salt and pepper, and remove from heat. Drain excess fat.

Heat the oven to 400. Place the puff pastry on a lightly floured sheet of parchment, and use a rolling pin to even out any folds, and roll until it’s about 12 by 12 inches. Brush off any remaining flour, and brush all over with egg. Transfer the parchment and pastry to a baking sheet. Place half of the Camembert at the center, cut side up. Spoon the onion-bacon mixture and the preserves on top of the Camembert, then place the remaining Camembert half on top, cut side down. Season generously with salt and pepper.

Bring the edge of the dough up and over the cheese, working your way around, gently pressing and pinching to seal. Make sure there are no gaps, which could allow the cheese to leak from the puff-pastry parcel. Flip the parcel over, brush the top and sides of the parcel with the remaining egg wash and use a knife to puncture a small hole at the center, and to make a design along the top, if you like. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, or until the pastry is cooked through and golden brown all over. Allow to cool on the sheet pan for about 10 minutes.

When you’re ready to eat, tear the salad leaves in half with your hands, and dress them in a big bowl with some olive oil and vinegar. Taste, adjust if needed and season generously with salt and pepper. Place the pastry on the serving plate, surround it with salad and serve.

These 3-ingredient Apricot Brie Bites are a quick, tasty and easy appetizer or snack!

Apricot Brie Tartlets

cheese

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil and place the phyllo shells onto the foil.

Cut the cheese into 15 even cubes (I separated it into three 1 oz pieces and cut each of those into 5 chunks). Place a cheese cube into each phyllo shell. Top each cube with ½ teaspoon of apricot preserves. Place the sheet pan in the oven and bake for 10-12 minutes.

This coconut cake was adapted from a recipe by Simone (Simca) Beck, best known as Julia Child’s co-author on “Mastering the Art of French Cooking.” She called it “Gâteau d’Hélène: a white cake filled and iced with coconut cream and apricot.” The recipe, published in Ms. Beck’s 1972 book, “Simca’s Cuisine” (Lyons Press, 1998), capped what she called a “carefree lunch” because it could be made ahead. Indeed, this cake is best baked, filled, frosted and refrigerated for at least an hour (or up to two days). Kind of like a madeleine, its layers are purposefully a bit dry, as they need to hold a dousing of orange juice and rum. The whipped cream filling and frosting is soft and dreamy. It’s an elegant celebration cake.

Gâteau d’Hélène (Coconut Cake)

unsalted butter

all-purpose flour,

baking powder

fine sea salt

granulated sugar

orange (save the juice

eggs,

orange juice

dark rum (or more orange juice)

heavy cream

vanilla extract

unsweetened shredded coconut

Make the cake: Center a rack in the oven, and heat to 325 degrees. Butter an 8-inch springform pan. Line the bottom with parchment paper, and butter the paper; dust with flour and shake out the excess.

In a small bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder and sea salt.

Working with a mixer, beat together the butter, sugar and orange zest on medium speed for about 4 minutes, until pale and creamy. Add the eggs one by one, beating for 1 minute after each egg goes in, and scraping often.

Reduce the speed to low, and add half the flour mixture, beating until it almost disappears into the batter. Add the remaining flour mixture, and beat until it is incorporated. Give the batter a last stir with a spatula, then scrape it into the pan, smoothing the top.

Bake for 50 to 55 minutes, or until the cake is golden brown and a tester inserted into the center comes out clean. Transfer the pan to a rack, let the cake cool 20 minutes, then run a table knife along the edges and remove the pan’s sides. Invert the cake onto the rack, remove the bottom of the pan and the parchment, turn the cake over and cool to room temperature right side up.

Cut the cake into three layers; flip the top layer so that the crumb is exposed.

Prepare the filling and frosting: Stir together the orange juice and rum (if using), and using a brush or spoon, lightly moisten each layer with the liquid, then spread with apricot preserves.

Working with a mixer, whip the cream just until it holds soft peaks, and add the vanilla. Working on medium speed, add the sugar in a slow, steady stream; stop beating when all the sugar is incorporated and the cream is firm. Spoon about 1/2 cup of the cream into a small bowl, and stir in about 2/3 cup of the shredded coconut. You’ll have a very thick mixture.

Place the layer that was the top of the cake on a serving platter, jam side up, and cover with half the coconut cream. Top with the middle layer, jam side up, and spread with the remaining coconut cream. Place the last layer on the cake, jam side down. Using an icing spatula or a table knife, frost the entire cake with the remaining whipped cream, then coat with the remaining shredded coconut.

The cake can be served now, but it tastes and cuts better after it’s been refrigerated for at least an hour.

Inspired by McDonald’s Chicken McNuggets dipped in sweet-and-sour sauce — a classic combination that debuted nationwide in 1983 — this tofu appetizer gets its inexorable crunch from potato starch. Pan-fried until shatteringly crisp, pressed tofu, cut into cute little rectangles, eats a lot like Chicken McNuggets and cooks up gorgeously every time. But the true joy of a nugget lies in the dipping, and this recipe stars a totally chill, no-cook sweet-and-sour sauce. Apricot preserves provide fruity sweetness as well as body, and rice vinegar, soy sauce and onion powder add savoriness.

Crispy Tofu With Sweet-and-Sour Sauce

(14-ounce) package firm tofu, drained

zucchini (about 1 pound)

kosher salt,

rice vinegar

soy sauce

red-pepper flakes

onion powder

potato starch

oil, olive oil

Press the tofu: Wrap the block of tofu in a clean tea towel, and place on a cutting board. Weigh down the tofu with a sheet pan topped with something heavy, such as a large skillet, cans or books, until the tea towel is soaked, about 30 minutes.

While the tofu is pressed, prep the zucchini: Halve the zucchini crosswise, then cut each piece lengthwise into 1/4-inch-thick planks. Finally, cut each plank lengthwise into 1/4-inch-thick “fries.” Place the zucchini fries in a large colander set over a medium bowl. Add 1 teaspoon salt, and toss until evenly coated. Set aside to drain.

Meanwhile, make the sauce: In a measuring cup, stir together the apricot preserves, rice vinegar, soy sauce, red-pepper flakes, 1 teaspoon onion powder and 2 teaspoons water until smooth. Transfer to a small dish for dipping, and set aside.

Slice the pressed tofu in half horizontally, and cut each of those halves into 8 rectangular pieces, creating 16 nuggets total. Directly on the cutting board, season the tofu with 1 teaspoon salt and the remaining 1/2 teaspoon onion powder, smearing each piece around to catch all the seasonings.

In a large bowl, toss to combine the potato starch and the remaining 1 teaspoon salt. Place the tofu in the starch, and gently toss with your hands until each piece is evenly coated.

Fry the tofu: Heat a large skillet over medium-high, and add a thin layer of oil, enough to coat the bottom of the pan. Add the tofu in a single layer, and cook, flipping a couple of times, until lightly golden on both sides, about 10 minutes total. Transfer the cooked tofu to a towel-lined plate to drain, and season it with salt to taste.

To serve, transfer the tofu and zucchini to a large platter, and serve alongside the dipping sauce.

The chef Fany Gerson makes her tangy and sweet roast chicken with an apricot glaze: a mixture of apricot jam, butter and garlic that is applied while the chicken is in the oven, keeping it juicy and flavorful inside and out. The apricot butter is also whisked into the pan drippings, along with shallots and red wine vinegar, to make a vibrant sauce.

Roast Chicken With Apricot Glaze

(4-pound) chicken,

Kosher salt and ground black pepper

lemon, halved

onion,

thyme

chicken broth

garlic (4 of them crushed, 1 of them minced)

unsalted butter, softened

shallot, finely chopped

red wine vinegar

apricots,

salted pistachios, whole or coarsely chopped (optional)

Heat the oven to 450 degrees with a rack set in the middle position.

Place the chicken on a cutting board and pat it dry with paper towels. Cut off and discard any extra fat hanging around the cavity, and season the cavity generously with salt and pepper. Squeeze the lemon all over the outside of the chicken and stuff the cavity with the chopped onion, 4 sprigs of thyme and at least one of the juiced lemon halves (both, if they’ll fit). Tie the legs together with twine. Rub 1 tablespoon oil all over the chicken and season with salt and pepper.

Carefully pour 3 cups chicken broth into a rimmed baking sheet and scatter over the crushed garlic cloves and remaining 4 thyme sprigs. Place the chicken, breast-side up, on a rack set over the baking sheet. Roast the chicken for 15 minutes, then lower the heat to 375 degrees and continue roasting for 1 hour more. Add additional chicken stock to the pan, as needed, to keep it from becoming dry.

Meanwhile, in a small bowl, mash together the butter, 3 tablespoons apricot preserves and the minced garlic clove until smooth and creamy. Season with salt and pepper. Transfer 2 heaping tablespoons of the apricot butter to a small container and refrigerate. Add the remaining 3 tablespoons oil to the apricot butter in the bowl and whisk to thin the mixture into a glaze.

Baste the chicken with the glaze and continue roasting for another 30 minutes or so, basting again after 15 minutes. Continue roasting until the chicken is browned and the juices run clear when you insert a knife down to the bone between the leg and thigh. Loosely tent with foil if the skin is getting too brown before chicken is cooked through.

Remove the pan from the oven and tilt the chicken to release the juices from the cavity into the pan, then transfer the chicken to a carving board and let rest for 15 minutes. Strain the pan drippings, remove the fat and set aside.

While the chicken rests, in a small pan over medium heat, cook the shallot and vinegar until the vinegar is nearly all cooked away but the pan is not yet dry. Add the remaining 1 tablespoon apricot preserves and the reserved pan drippings, whisk together and bring to a simmer. Add the remaining cold apricot butter little by little, whisking constantly, and remove from the heat. Taste and season with salt and pepper as needed. Carve chicken and serve with the seasoned jus, sliced apricots and pistachios if desired.

Also known as Venetians, Neapolitans or tricolore cookies, these classic Italian-American treats are not really cookies at all, but thin, dense layers of brightly hued almond cake stacked with apricot jam, and coated with glossy chocolate. The layers are traditionally red, white and green to resemble the Italian flag, but, of course, you can play around with the colors depending on the holiday and what you have on hand. This version is adapted from Mary Carpino, from Briarcliff Manor, N.Y., who made them every Christmas for years. One of her granddaughters, Nicole Carpino Frasco, passed along the recipe to us. We increased the chocolate and salt slightly, but the festive spirit of the recipe remains. Mrs. Carpino stored them in her chilly winter attic, but if you don’t have one of those, store them in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks, or in the freezer for up to 5 months.

Italian Rainbow Cookies

Nonstick cooking spray

all-purpose flour

salt

almond

unsalted butter,

almond extract

Red and green food coloring, preferably gel

(12-ounce

chocolate

Sprinkles, for finishing (optional)

Arrange 2 racks in the center of the oven and heat to 350 degrees. Make room in your refrigerator for 1 half-sheet pan. Grease 3 (13-by-9-inch) baking pans or quarter-sheet pans with cooking spray or a little oil, then line with parchment or wax paper. (This helps the paper stay in place.) Spray or oil the parchment.

Combine the flour and salt in a medium bowl. In the bowl of a standing mixer (or with a hand mixer), or in a large bowl if using an electric hand mixer, break up the almond paste using a fork or your fingers. Add butter, sugar, egg yolks and almond extract. Using the paddle attachment, beat on high until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes, scraping down the bowl halfway through. Turn off the mixer, add a third of the flour and salt, then beat on medium-low until just combined. Repeat with another third, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed, and continue until all the flour is added and incorporated. Transfer batter to a large bowl. Rinse and dry the mixing bowl.

Add egg whites to the mixing bowl and beat on high speed with the whisk attachment until stiff peaks form, 30 to 45 seconds. Fold the egg whites into the batter until just combined.

Remove one-third of the batter to one of the prepared pans. Use an offset spatula to evenly spread the batter in the pan all the way to the edges. (This can get a little tricky, but have patience and take your time. The oil on the pan should help hold the paper in place, but if you’re having trouble, hold the paper in place with one hand while you spread with the other.) Remove another one-third of the batter to a medium bowl and add a couple drops of green food coloring. Stir until blended, and add more to reach your desired shade. Transfer green batter to a prepared pan and spread evenly. Add a couple drops of red food coloring to the remaining batter, stir to combine, add more as needed, then transfer to the last pan and spread evenly. Firmly tap each pan on the countertop to release air bubbles.

Bake for 10 to 11 minutes, rotating pans halfway through, until the edges are barely browned, the tops are just set, and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Immediately slide cakes from the pans onto racks using the parchment paper. Cool completely.

Using the parchment paper, slide the green cake onto a half-sheet pan. In a small saucepan, heat preserves over medium until loose, then strain through a fine mesh sieve. Spread half of the preserves over the green layer, going all the way to the edge. Carefully flip the uncolored layer on top (use a large offset spatula to help), and remove the parchment paper. Spread with the remaining preserves. Top with the red layer and remove the parchment paper. Cover with plastic wrap and place another rimmed baking sheet on top of the cookies. Transfer to the refrigerator, then top with heavy cans so the weight is evenly distributed. Refrigerate overnight.

Melt half of the chocolate in a double boiler or in the microwave in 30-second bursts. Using an offset spatula, spread the chocolate on the top and to the edges, then refrigerate until firm, about 30 minutes. Melt the remaining chocolate. Place a piece of parchment or wax paper on a cutting board, then place on top of the cake and invert the cake onto the board. Spread the bottom with the remaining chocolate. Let cool for a few minutes, then use the tines of a fork to draw waves in the chocolate and add sprinkles, if desired. Refrigerate until almost firm, but still slightly soft, about 5 to 10 minutes. (If you wait until the chocolate is fully set, the chocolate will crack when you cut.)

Run a sharp knife under hot water, dry, then trim the edges and save for snacking. Cut the cake into 1-inch squares, running the knife under hot water and drying between cuts. Return to the refrigerator to set completely. Store in the refrigerator in an airtight container with wax paper between layers. Allow to come to room temperature a bit before serving.

Please enjoy our low sugar apricot jam recipe with lemon juice. It&#039;s bright, fresh, and absolutely delicious. Even better, it only requires three ingredients, and a very short cooking and processing time. It&#039;s also freezer-friendly!

Simple Low Sugar Apricot Jam with Lemon Juice (No Pectin)

apricots (pits removed)

organic cane sugar

lemon juice

Wash, pit and chop the apricots.

In a large mixing bowl, combine apricots and sugar. Mix well.

Allow the fruit and sugar to sit (macerate) for several hours or overnight. Move to fridge if overnight.

Prepare and sanitize all necessary canning equipment.

Combine macerated fruit with lemon juice in a large non-reactive pot.

Bring to a boil for several minutes, then reduce to a simmer for 10-15 minutes. Stir frequently. Remove from heat.

Transfer hot jam into hot sterilized canning jars. Fill to 1/4&quot; head room in jar. Wipe rims and add lids (rings finger tight only).

Process in boiling water canner per provided chart above for your elevation (e.g. 5 minutes for 0-1000 feet, 10 minutes for 1001-6000 feet - for pints or half pints)

Store sealed jars in a cool dark location (e.g. pantry or cellar) and use within one year or sooner for best quality. Once open, store unsealed jars in the refrigerator and use within one month.

YUM. I absolutely love this recipe - the process, the flavor, the fact that there is so much less sugar, all of it! Thank you for giving me the perfect way to preserve my apricots and share with loved ones!

The recipe is fine also the method but - freezing, really? Why on earth would you want to take up space in your freezer which should be used for meat, fish, vegetables etc. I do realise that I am from a different cultural background but have been making jam &amp; marmalade for over 50 years &amp; it will keep perfectly well in a cool cupboard until at least until the next season rolls around, in fact, I've just finished my last pot of sour cherry jam from 2020!

This was SO yummy!  Totally sweet enough and my new fave!  I didn't do the long term canning process because I knew it wouldn't last long! Haha. Definitely recommend!

Are there any methods that I can use to make this jam thicker?  The taste is great and I love using less sugar. 😊

I tried this recipe last year and it was DELICIOUS! I'm wondering if you have tried double or tripling a batch and if it turned out?

Made this today. So simple and spot on! Thank you for sharing Deanna. Most of the apricots on my tree are not pretty as i dont spray . I  Salvage what i can (between birds/ squirrels and raccoons!!!) and this was a great way to preserve and enjoy the apricots😊

Top 7 apricot preserves recipes from across the web

The most viewed apricot preserves recipes by Recipe Cart users, saved from over 6,000 sites. Or, go to our Recipe Search Engine

Top Tags

Baked Camembert Salad

Apricot Brie Tartlets

Gâteau d’Hélène (Coconut Cake)

Crispy Tofu With Sweet-and-Sour Sau...

Roast Chicken With Apricot Glaze

Italian Rainbow Cookies

Simple Low Sugar Apricot Jam with L...

Top 7 apricot preserves recipes from across the web

The most viewed apricot preserves recipes by Recipe Cart users, saved from over 6,000 sites. Or, go to our Recipe Search Engineic_arrow_forward_48px

Top Tags

Baked Camembert Salad

Apricot Brie Tartlets

Gâteau d’Hélène (Coconut Cake)

Crispy Tofu With Sweet-and-Sour Sau...

Roast Chicken With Apricot Glaze

Italian Rainbow Cookies

Simple Low Sugar Apricot Jam with L...

The most viewed apricot preserves recipes by Recipe Cart users, saved from over 6,000 sites. Or, go to our Recipe Search Engine