Apricot Orange And Almond Jam Food

APRICOT-ORANGE SHORTBREAD BARS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 325°F. Butter 9x9x2-inch metal baking pan; line bottom and sides of pan with parchment paper, extending over sides. Butter parchment. Mix preserves and orange liqueur in small bowl; set aside.
• Using electric mixer, beat 1 cup butter and sugar in large bowl until well blended. Beat in almond extract. Add flour and salt; beat just until blended. Transfer 1 cup of dough to another small bowl; add crumbled almond paste and mix with fingertips until small clumps form. Mix in 1/4 cup sliced almonds; set aside for topping.
• Press remaining dough evenly onto bottom of prepared pan. Spread preserves mixture evenly over. Using fingertips, coarsely crumble topping over preserves, then sprinkle 1/4 cup almonds over. Press topping lightly into preserves.
• Bake shortbread until top and crust edges are golden brown, about 1 hour. Cool completely in pan on rack. Using parchment paper as aid, lift shortbread from pan. Cut shortbread into 4 equal strips, then cut each strip crosswise into 8 small bar cookies. (Can be prepared ahead. Store in single layer in airtight container at room temperature up to 4 days or freeze up to 2 weeks.)

ORANGE-APRICOT JAM

Steps:

• Mix apricots, sugar, orange zest, and lemon juice in a very large pot. Bring to a boil over medium heat. Simmer, stirring occasionally and skimming any scum off the top, until apricots look glassy and the liquid thickens, 20 to 25 minutes.
• Spoon the jam into 3 pint jars, leaving 1/4 inch of space at the top. Seal jars and let the jam cool to room temperature, 1 to 2 hours, before transferring to the refrigerator.

ALMOND-ORANGE-APRICOT CRESCENT ROLLS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to package directions and roll out dough on a nonstick cookie sheet. Cut and separate dough into perforated triangles. Combine the apricot jam or fruit spread and the orange marmalade in a small bowl. Place bowl in microwave and cook on HIGH 15 seconds to loosen the preserves. Beat egg with water to thin it out a little for an egg wash. Use the back of a teaspoon to spread a thin layer of apricot-orange jam across each piece of dough. Roll crescents up, brush with a little egg wash and coat with sesame seeds and almonds. Bake to package directions until deep golden in color. Serve warm.

APRICOT, ORANGE AND ALMOND JAM

Steps:

• Chop the apricots roughly. Put them into a large bowl, sprinkling the fine grated zest of the oranges and the cinnamon between layers. Squeeze the juice of the oranges, measure and add enough water to make 3 pints in all. Pour the liquids over the fruit; leave to soak overnight in a cool place. Slide the contents of the bowl into a preserving pan and simmer gently until the fruit is beautifully tender. Check the fruit occasionally as it cooks and crush it down into the pan with a potato masher. It may need 1¼ hours to become really soft. Warm the sugar. Add it to the pan together with the juice of the lemons and the almonds. Cook gently until sugar is melted, then fast-boil until the saucer test shows that the preserve will set. Pot, tie down and label the preserve in the usual way.

APRICOT ORANGE ALMOND JAM

Steps:

• Chop the apricots coarsly and put into a large bowl. Sprinkle-on the grated zest of the oranges and the cinnamon.
• Squeeze the juice of the oranges, measure and add enough water to make 6-cups total. Pour the liquid over the fruit, gently combine, and set out overnight in a cool place (not in the fridge).
• The next day, simmer the apricots in a heavy pan until fruit is nicely tender; 1 to 2 hours. Use a potato masher to crush fruit if desired. I like the apricots in larger chunks so I don't mash them.
• Add the sugar to the pan together with juice of the lemons and the almonds.
• Cook 'til sugar is melted, then fast-boil to a setting stage. (drip some on a plate, if a skin forms on top when cooled it's ready).
• Ladle into sterile jars, seal, and process in 10-min. water bath.

DRIED APRICOT JAM

Steps:

• Put the apricots in a large pan, add 1.5 litres water, cover and leave overnight to soak.
• Next day, place a small plate in the fridge to chill. Put the apricots and water on the hob, then add the lemon juice and bring to the boil. Reduce the heat, then simmer for 30 mins or until the apricots are tender and starting to break up.
• Remove from the heat and add the sugar, stirring until it dissolves. Return to the heat and boil rapidly for 20 mins or until setting point is reached. To check this, remove the plate from the fridge, put a spoonful of jam onto the plate and pop it back in the fridge for a few mins - the jam should wrinkle when you push it with your finger. A sugar thermometer will also give you the setting point of jam, which is 105C.
• Carefully pour the jam into hot sterilised jars, top with a disc of wax paper or baking parchment, seal with a lid, then leave to cool and set. The jam will last for 6 months unopened in a cool, dark cupboard.

APRICOT ALMOND BLONDIES

Steps:

• In a large bowl, cream butter and brown sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in egg and vanilla. Combine the flour, baking soda and salt; gradually add to the creamed mixture and mix well. Stir in chips, almonds and apricots., Drop by heaping tablespoonfuls 2 in. apart onto ungreased baking sheets. Bake at 350° for 7-9 minutes or until lightly browned. Remove to wire racks to cool.

APRICOT & ORANGE BLOSSOM JAM

Steps:

• Mix the apricots and sugar together, cover and leave to stand overnight.
• Put a saucer in the freezer. Tip the syrupy apricots into a preserving pan or a large, wide-based pan (the wider and more open the pan, the faster the jam will be ready, so a preserving pan is ideal). Add the lemon juice and place over a gentle heat. Once any last bits of sugar have melted, turn up the heat and boil for 15 mins. Turn off the heat and spoon a little hot syrupy jam onto the cold saucer. Once cool, push the jam with your finger. If it wrinkles a little, it's ready and has reached setting point. If it is too runny to wrinkle, return the pan to the heat and boil in stages of 2-3 mins, removing the pan from the heat each time you do the saucer check, until the jam wrinkles.
• Skim the surface, then stir in the orange blossom and knobs of butter, if you like - this will help to dissolve any remaining scum. Leave the jam for 15 mins before ladling into sterilised jars (see tip, below) - this allows the fruit to settle so it doesn't sink to the bottom. Will keep in the fridge for 6 weeks.

RASPBERRY ALMOND JAM

Steps:

• Combine first four ingredients in large sauce pan, bring to boil.
• reduce heat and simmer, uncovered, 40 minutes or till thick, stir often.
• remove from heat; stir in salt and extract.
• Cool; pour into airtight containers.