Apricot Puree Food

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.)

SWEET POTATO AND APRICOT PUREE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 450°F.
• Prick potatoes and bake in middle of oven for at least 1 hour, or until very soft. Allow to cool and then scoop flesh into a bowl.
• In a saucepan cover apricots by 1 inch with cold water and simmer until soft, about 30 minutes. Reserve 2 tablespoons of the cooking liquid and drain apricots.
• Puree apricots in a food processor with the granulated sugar and reserved liquid, until smooth.
• Add puree and salt to potatoes. Beat with an electric mixer until smooth. Spread mixture into a greased shallow 2-qt baking dish. (Note: Puree may be prepared up to this point 1 day ahead and kept chilled and covered).
• Reduce oven temperature to 400.
• In a small bowl blend remaining ingredients (flour, brown sugar, butter, pecans, and dash salt) with your fingers until combined well. Sprinkle over puree. Bake in oven until heated through and topping is bubbly, about 15 minutes.