Apricot Almond Twistspampered Chef Food

APRICOT AND ALMOND TART

Steps:

• For the pastry, put the sugar and butter in a bowl and beat together with a wooden spoon (cream) until combined. Sift over the flour and gently mix until incorporated. Stir in the egg, then lightly bring together with your hands. Tip onto a work surface, then lightly knead a few times to make a smooth dough. Divide in half, wrap each piece well in cling film, then leave to rest in the fridge for 1 hour.
• Gently knead one piece of pastry to make it more pliable, then gently shape into a ball and squash down slightly on an unfloured surface. Gently roll the pastry with a rolling pin as quickly as possible, repeatedly turning it about 45 degrees to keep the circle shape.
• When you feel the pastry softening slightly, add a little flour to the work surface and the top of the pastry, then keep rolling until you have a rough circle about 6cm wider than your tin and 3mm thick. Trim the edges a little to make an even circle about 3-4cm wider than your tin.
• Carefully roll the pastry up around the rolling pin, then lay it over the tart case and unroll it from the pin with the floured underside facing up and the more buttery side against the metal tin. Press evenly into the base and sides of the tin, folding the excess back over the outside of the tin. Trim the edge slightly so about 5mm of the tin's outside is showing. Bring the trimmings together and use to help press the pastry into the corners and flutes of the tin, then cover with cling film and chill again for 30 minutes.
• Heat the oven to 190°C/170°C fan/gas 5. Fill the pastry case with baking paper and ceramic baking beans or uncooked rice. Put on a baking sheet, cook for 15 minutes, then remove the beans/rice and paper. Bake for 5 minutes more until sandy to the touch. Set aside to cool.
• Meanwhile, make the frangipane filling. Using a wooden spoon or electric mixer, cream the butter and sugar in a mixing bowl with the vanilla, nutmeg and orange zest. Add the ground, whole and flaked almonds and flour, then mix well. Beat in the egg and rum until smooth.
• Reduce the oven temperature to 170°C/150°C fan/gas 3½. Fill the tart case with the frangipane mix and use a dessert spoon or spatula to level the top. Top with the apricot halves or quarters and bake for 45-50 minutes until golden brown and slightly springy.
• Once out of the oven, use a small, sharp serrated knife to cut around the edges of the tart to remove the excess overhang and create super-sharp edges.
• Gently warm the apricot jam, brandy and a splash of water in a pan or the microwave and brush all over the tart while still warm, brushing first the frangipane, then the apricots, then the frangipane again. Serve warm in slices, topped with crème fraîche.

APRICOT ALMOND TWISTS(PAMPERED CHEF)

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375*F.
• Dice apricots. Place apricots, chocolate chips, cranberries, flour and almond extract in a bowl. Mix well. Add water and mix again.
• Place bread dough, seam sides up, on a cutting board. Using a serrated knife, slice each loaf lengthwise, end to end, cutting halfway through to center of loaf; spread open flat. Lightly sprinkle additional flour evenly over dough.
• Using a rolling pin, roll dough crosswise to a 4" width, creating a well down the center of each loaf.
• Spoon half of apricot mixture down the center of each loaf. Gather up the edges over filling, pinching firmly to seal.
• Place loaves, seam sides down, in an X pattern on baking sheet(or baking stone). Crisscross ends of dough to form a large figure 8, keeping ends of dough 1" from edge of pan and leaving two 1 1/2" openings in center of twist.
• Lightly brush egg white over dough using a pastry brush. Cut a 3" slit in each of the top sections of the twist to reveal filling.
• Sprinkle almonds evenly over dough, pressing gently.
• Bake 30-32 minutes or until deep golden brown.
• Remove from the oven. Cool 10 minutes. Sprinkle with powdered sugar, if you like. Cut into slices and serve warm. Enjoy!

APRICOT-ALMOND GIFT BREAD

Steps:

• Pan preparation:
• Butter the pan(s) or spray with butter-flavor nonstick vegetable spray and dust with flour. Tap out the excess flour.
• Make bread:
• Position rack in center of oven. Preheat oven to 350°F.
• In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, sugar, and wheat germ. If using a food processor, add the apricots and a generous tablespoon of the flour mixture to the bowl and pulse until the fruit is cut into small (¼-inch) bits. Or, cut up the apricots with oiled kitchen shears or an oiled knife. Scrape the apricot bits into the bowl with the flour. Chop the nuts and add them to the dry ingredients.
• In a medium bowl, whisk together the oil, egg, nectar or buttermilk, and extracts. Make a well in the middle of the dry ingredients and pour in the oil-egg mixture. Whisk or stir just to blend well; don't over mix.
• Scrape the batter into the prepared pan(s), filling them about two-thirds full. Bake 60 to 65 minutes for a large loaf, 40 to 45 minutes for small loaves (or for the time indicated for your altitude in the chart below), or until the bread is golden brown and a cake tester inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool in the pan(s) on a wire rack.
• Make icing:
• To make the icing, whisk together the sugar and liquid in a small bowl until thick and smooth. When the bread is completely cooled, drizzle the icing over the top; it will harden as it dries.
• Cooks' Note
• Icing measurements stay the same at all elevations, but if you are baking the bread at high altitude, follow the adjustments below.
• If baking at 3,000 feet:
• Increase flour to 2 cups plus 1 tablespoon. Decrease baking soda to ¼ teaspoon. Decrease granulated sugar to 1 cup minus 1 tablespoon. Increase to 2 large eggs. Place rack in center of oven; bake large loaf at 375° for 50-55 minutes, baby loaves for 30-35 minutes.
• If baking at 5,000 feet:
• Increase flour to 2 cups plus 1 tablespoon. Decrease baking powder to 1¼ teaspoons plus ⅛ teaspoon. Decrease baking soda to ¼ teaspoon. Decrease granulated sugar to 1 cup minus 2 tablespoons. Increase to 2 large eggs. Increase apricot nectar (or buttermilk) to ¾ cup plus 2 tablespoons. Place rack in lower third of oven; bake large loaf at 375° for 48-50 minutes, baby loaves for 35-40 minutes.
• If baking at 7,000 feet:
• Increase flour to 2 cups plus 2 tablespoons. Decrease baking powder to 1¼ teaspoons. Decrease baking soda to ¼ teaspoon. Decrease granulated sugar to ¾ cup. Increase to 2 large eggs. Use buttermilk, not nectar, and increase to 1 cup. Place rack in lower third of oven; bake large loaf at 350° for 60-62 minutes, baby loaves for 30-35 minutes.
• If baking at 10,000 feet:
• Increase flour to 2¼ cups. Decrease baking powder to 1¼ teaspoons. Decrease baking soda to ⅛ teaspoon. Increase salt to ½ teaspoon plus ⅛ teaspoon. Decrease granulated sugar to ¾ cup minus 1 tablespoon. Increase to 2 large eggs. Use buttermilk, not nectar, and increase to 1 cup. Place rack in lower third of oven; bake large loaf at 350° for 60-65 minutes, baby loaves for 32-37 minutes.

AMAZING APRICOT AND TOASTED ALMOND BISCOTTI

Steps:

• Line two, 18x12x1-inch cookie sheets with parchment paper or foil (I prefer parchment paper but if you use foil, butter and flour it first.). Combine the first 6 ingredients in the bowl of a food processor. Process until it forms a fine meal. Add white chocolate chips and pulse a few times until roughly chopped. Add the toasted almonds and chop coarsely, using 6 to 8 on/off turns.
• Beat the eggs, brandy and almond extract together in large bowl. Add the flour mixture and the diced apricots and stir until a moist dough forms. Divide the dough into four portions.
• Form the dough into four, 14-inch-long by 2-inch-wide logs and place them on the two prepared sheets, spacing evenly. If the dough is too sticky, moisten fingertips before you shape it. Refrigerate until the dough is firm, about 30 minutes.
• While the dough is resting in the refrigerator, position a rack in the center of oven and preheat the oven to 350°F. Bake one sheet at a time until light golden brown, or about 25-30 minutes. Transfer the sheet to a rack and cool completely. Repeat the process with the second sheet.
• Reduce the heat to 300°F. Transfer the logs to a work surface. Using a serrated knife, cut each log crosswise into ½- to ¾- inch wide slices. Arrange half of the biscotti cut side down on cookie sheet. Bake for about 8 minutes.
• Gently turn the biscotti over and bake 7-8 minutes longer. Do not over cook. Transfer to racks to cool. Repeat baking the remaining biscotti. Cool completely.

APRICOT ALMOND LINZERTORTE

Steps:

• Make pastry:
• Pulse toasted almonds and sugar in a food processor until nuts are finely ground. Sift together flour, salt, cinnamon, ginger, and cloves into a bowl, then add to ground nuts in processor and pulse to combine.
• Lightly beat yolks, extracts, and zest in a small bowl with a fork. Add to food processor along with butter, then pulse until dough forms a ball. Form one third of dough into a disk, then roll out between 2 sheets of plastic wrap into a 10-inch round. Transfer to a baking sheet and chill until firm, about 10 minutes. Roll out remaining dough between 2 sheets of plastic wrap into a 12-inch round, then transfer to another baking sheet and chill until firm, about 10 minutes.
• Make filling:
• Simmer water, sugar, brandy, and apricots in a small saucepan, uncovered, stirring occasionally, until apricots are tender and liquid is syrupy, 15 to 20 minutes. Transfer mixture to cleaned food processor and pulse until almost smooth. Spread mixture onto a plate and chill 15 minutes.
• Bake torte:
• Preheat oven to 350°F with rack in middle.
• Remove bottom of springform pan and invert, then lock on side. Remove larger dough round from refrigerator and peel off top layer of plastic wrap, then invert round into pan (pastry will break in spots). Press dough evenly onto bottom, then discard plastic. Fold in edge of dough and press 1/2 inch up side of pan (side will be thicker than bottom). Press gently to close any cracks.
• Bake pastry until lightly browned, about 20 minutes, then cool completely on a rack, about 30 minutes. (Dough will puff up as it bakes but will settle as it cools.)
• Spread filling into crust with an offset spatula or back of a spoon.
• Peel top layer of plastic wrap from smaller dough round, then cut round into 1/2-inch-wide strips. (Chill strips again if necessary.) Arrange half of strips over filling about 1 inch apart, pressing ends onto edge of torte. Arrange remaining strips across first strips to form a simple lattice. Press edges together with your fingertips.
• Bake until top is browned, 40 to 50 minutes. Cool completely, about 2 hours.
• Before serving, remove side of pan and dust edge of torte with confectioners sugar.

ALMOND-APRICOT TART

Steps:

• Place apricots and whisky in a saucepan, bring to a simmer and set aside. Turn apricots in warm whisky from time to time while continuing with preparation.
• Heat oven to 450 degrees. Combine flour, 1/4 cup ground almonds, salt and granulated sugar in a bowl or food processor. Whisk to combine. By hand or machine, add butter, pulsing or using a pastry blender to make a crumbly mixture. Beat egg yolk with 4 tablespoons cold water and add, mixing or pulsing until ingredients come together to form a dough. Add a little more water as needed.
• Shape pastry into a flattened disk on a floured surface and roll to fit a 9-inch straight-sided tart pan. Prick the bottom. Line with foil and pastry weights and bake 10 minutes. Remove foil and weights and bake 10 minutes more, until lightly golden. Remove from oven. Reduce oven temperature to 350 degrees.
• Drain apricots, reserving any whisky. Tightly line pastry shell with apricots. Whisk together the remaining 1/2 cup ground almonds and confectioners' sugar in a bowl. In a separate bowl, whisk mascarpone until smooth. Beat 2 remaining eggs and add to mascarpone along with reserved whisky and almond extract. Mix into combined almonds and confectioners' sugar. Pour over apricots in pastry shell.
• Place tart in oven and bake 20 minutes. Sprinkle sliced almonds around the outside edge of the tart filling to form a border about an inch wide. Return to oven and bake another 15 to 20 minutes, until the filling is puffed and lightly browned. Remove from oven, place on a rack and let cool to room temperature before serving.

APRICOT AND ALMOND TART

Steps:

• To make the pastry: in the bowl of a food processor, combine the butter, flour and salt. Pulse until the mixture resembles very fine bread crumbs. Add the confectioners' sugar, egg yolk and 2 tablespoons chilled water, and pulse a few times to bring the mixture together. Pour onto a work surface and knead the dough sparingly until smooth, being careful not to overwork it. Flatten into a disk, wrap in plastic and chill for at least 30 minutes or up to 24 hours.
• To make the frangipane: In a food processor, grind the almonds to a fine powder. Transfer to a bowl. In the food processor, combine 1 cup brown sugar, butter, and vanilla pulp. Process until light and fluffy, then with motor running add the flour and the eggs. Add the ground almonds and pulse to mix evenly. Set aside at room temperature or refrigerate for up to 24 hours. Bring to room temperature and stir before using.
• To assemble: Lightly flour a cool work surface and roll the pastry into a large disk about 1/4-inch thick. Press into a 9-inch tart pan with a removable base and trim the edge. Chill at least 1 hour.
• Heat oven to 325 degrees with a large baking sheet on the middle rack. Spread frangipane in the chilled tart pan, and nestle the apricot halves evenly on top, cut sides up. Sprinkle each half with about 1/2 teaspoon brown sugar. Place the tart on the baking sheet and bake until golden, and set, about 1 hour and 15 minutes. If the top appears to be browning too fast, cover loosely with foil.
• Trim any baked overflow to loosen the edge of the tart. Press up the bottom of the pan to loosen the sides and cool the tart in the pan on a wire rack. When completely cool, serve with crème fraîche or whipped cream.