Best 6 Apricot Puree Recipes

APRICOT PUREE

Steps:

• Place the apricots in a large saucepan and add enough water to cover them.
• Cook over medium heat for about 20 minutes, or until apricots are very soft. Drain the apricots, reserving the cooking liquid. Set the pan aside for later use.
• Place the apricots in 2 batches in the bowl of your food processor fitted with the metal blade. Puree by pulsing on and off until the apricots are smooth. Add some of the reserved cooking liquid, if necessary.
• Scrape the puree back into the large saucepan and stir in the brown sugar and lemon juice. Cook over low heat, stirring continually, until the sugar is dissolved, about 5-10 minutes.
• Let cool, then store in an airtight container in the refrigerator, until needed.
• You can use this as is, for a filling, or if the flavor is too concentrated, add it to some buttercream. Then you will have an apricot buttercream filling.
• I torte my cakes into four cake layers and like to do three filling layers as follows:.
• Cake, filling, cake, buttercream flavored with filling, cake, filling and final cake layer. By doing this, you will have two layers of the apricot filling, one on the bottom layer, and one on the top layer and a middle layer of the buttercream flavored with the filling. The buttercream will take on a very pale peachy color.
• Just remember to pipe an icing dam around the layer before spreading the apricot filling.

APRICOT PURéE

Steps:

• Stir all ingredients in heavy medium saucepan over medium heat until sugar dissolves and mixture simmers. Cover and cook until apricots soften, about 6 minutes; cool. Transfer mixture to processor and puree until almost smooth (some apricot bits will remain). Refrigerate. (Can be prepared 1 week ahead.)

APRICOT GELEE

Steps:

• Heat the puree over medium-high heat in a saucepan fitted with a candy thermometer. Mix the pectin with half the sugar to "dilute" it. When the puree reaches 100 degrees F, add the pectin/sugar. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly. Add the remaining sugar and the corn syrup and cook until the mixture reaches 225 degrees F, stirring slowly and constantly with a rubber spatula, making sure to scrape the bottom and sides.
• Dissolve the ascorbic acid in 1 teaspoon of water. Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the ascorbic acid. Pour into a baking dish lined with a silpat or parchment paper, and let set for at least overnight, until gelled and firm. Cut neatly into rectangles 1-inch by 1 1/2 inches. Spread a few tablespoons of sugar in a dish and roll each square in sugar, to coat. Wrap individually in cellophane or store in an airtight container. At room temperature, they keep up to 4 weeks.
• Notes about the recipe: When golden-brown cookies and dark-brown chocolates threaten to overwhelm my petit-four trays, I can always depend on the bright garnet sparkle of these candies, lively in color and flavor. In France, where I learned to make them, gelees come in a tremendous range of colors and flavors, from grass-green kiwi to deep purple blackberry.
• And if you're a fan of Chuckles candies, these will blow your mind. Pectin is a natural fruit gelatin that you can buy in powder form, especially during canning season (June-October). Ascorbic acid, a natural antioxidant available at health-food stores, keeps the color bright.

APRICOT BREAKFAST MUFFINS

Steps:

• HEAT oven to 350 degrees F. Coat 6 muffin cups with no-stick spray.
• COMBINE flour, SPLENDA® Granulated Sweetener, baking powder and salt in medium mixing bowl.
• BEAT together egg, oil and milk. Blend in preserves and almond extract. Add to flour mixture and stir just until moistened. Fill muffin cups evenly with batter.
• BAKE 20 to 30 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool. Spread tops with a thin layer of preserves before serving.
• SPLENDA® is a registered trademark of McNeil Nutritionals, LLC.

APRICOTS AND CREAM CHEESE CAKE

Steps:

• Heat oven to 350°F. Grease 3 (8- or 9-inch) round pans with shortening. Line pan bottoms with waxed paper or cooking parchment paper; grease again and lightly flour. In food processor bowl with metal blade, place canned apricots. Process 30 seconds or until smooth, scraping bowl after 15 seconds; set aside.
• In large bowl, beat 1 cup butter and 1 3/4 cups granulated sugar with electric mixer on medium speed until light and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in 1 teaspoon vanilla. Add flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt; beat on low speed until mixed. Measure 1/4 cup apricot puree; set aside. Add remaining apricot puree and apricot nectar to batter; beat on low speed until mixed. Beat on medium speed 2 minutes. Spread about 2 cups batter in each pan.
• Bake 25 to 30 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pans 10 minutes; remove from pans to cooling racks. Cool completely, about 40 minutes.
• In large bowl, beat cream cheese and 1 cup butter with electric mixer on medium speed until creamy. Add powdered sugar, 2 teaspoons vanilla and reserved puree. Beat on low speed until mixed. Beat on medium speed until creamy. Spoon about 1 1/2 cups frosting into decorating bag fitted with medium star tip.
• Place one cake layer on cake plate, top side down. Spread about 3/4 cup frosting over top. With decorating bag, pipe a wavy ring of frosting around outside top edge of cake, extending slightly over edge. Top with second layer, top side down. Repeat frosting and piping. Top with third layer, top side up. Frost top with remaining frosting; pipe edge. (Side of cake is not frosted.)
• For garnish, separate 2 dried apricots into 4 halves. With rolling pin, roll each apricot half between 2 pieces of plastic wrap to 1 1/2-inch diameter. Set aside. Roll remaining 3 apricots between plastic wrap to about 2-inch diameters. To form rose, roll one of the apricot halves into a tight roll (center of rose). Place remaining 3 apricot halves around roll to form petals, pinching at bottom to secure. Place larger apricot circles around smaller ones, pinching together at bottom to complete rose. Sprinkle lightly with 1/4 teaspoon sugar. Place in center of cake. Place lemon leaves next to rose. Store in refrigerator.

ITALIAN APRICOT FOOL

Steps:

• Put the apricot halves in a saucepan with the lemon zest and juice and the sugar. Shake the pan to combine, then simmer, uncovered, over a medium heat until the apricots are soft. This should take about 10-15 minutes.
• Tip the contents of the pan into a blender or food processor and whizz to a purée. Decant into a bowl, stir in the liqueur and leave to cool - about 20-30 minutes.
• Soften the mascarpone in its tub by whisking it vigorously with a fork. Whip the cream in a bowl - you want it softly whipped not stiff. Fold in the mascarpone with a large metal spoon, then lightly swirl in the apricot purée to make a pattern.
• Spoon the mixture into six wine glasses. (At this point, they'll keep in the fridge for up to a day.) To serve, crumble over the amaretti, with a few on the side for dunking.