Apricot Tea Cakes Food

APRICOT TEA CAKE

Steps:

• Whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt in a small bowl. Set aside.
• In the bowl of a standing mixer, cream the butter and 1 cup of the sugar until light and fluffy, about three to five minutes.
• Add the eggs one at a time and the vanilla extract and mix until combined.
• Gradually add the flour and mix just until combined. (It will be a wet dough.)
• Wrap dough in plastic and chill until firm, about one hour. (Dough can be made in advance and refrigerated until needed.)
• Preheat oven to 375 and grease a tart pan.
• Toss apricots with lemon zest, juice and remaining tablespoon of sugar.
• Divide dough in half. Press one half into bottom of tart pan.
• Top dough with chopped fruit.
• With your fingers, tear off a chunk of the remaining dough and flatten it into a thin layer. Place on top of the fruit.
• Repeat with the remaining dough, cobbling together the pieces until the fruit is mostly covered, but some gaps remain. (Dough will join together in the cooking and create a scalloped top.)
• Sprinkle generously with raw sugar.
• Bake until top crust is puffed and golden brown, about 35 to 40 minutes.
• Cool on a wire rack before serving.

APRICOT TEA CAKES

Steps:

• Heat oven to 375 degrees. Line a baking pan with parchment. Butter and flour twelve 3-by-1 1/2-inch cake rings; set on parchment. Place cornmeal in a large mixing bowl; set aside.
• In a small saucepan, combine milk, sugar, salt, and orange zest. Set over medium-high heat, and bring to a boil, stirring.
• Slowly pour the hot milk mixture over the cornmeal, incorporating with a fork. Cover with plastic wrap, and set aside in a warm place 30 minutes. Add the orange juice.
• Place the apricot halves on paper towels, and let drain. One at a time, add the egg yolks to the cornmeal mixture, stirring after each addition. Stir in the olive oil.
• In a medium bowl, beat egg whites until stiff and shiny. Fold into cornmeal mixture.
• Center one apricot half, cut-side up, in each cake ring. Pour 1/2 cup batter into each ring. Bake 5 minutes, and remove from oven. Reduce heat to 325 degrees. Place another apricot half, cut-side up, in each ring, and place an almond in the center of each apricot. Return to oven, and bake until tops are golden brown, about 25 minutes.
• Transfer baking sheet to a wire rack; let cool 5 minutes. Remove rings, and cool completely. Drizzle cakes with honey; serve.

TOASTED TEACAKES WITH APRICOT COMPOTE

Steps:

• Toast the teacakes. Split in half and serve warm from the toaster, spread with mascarpone and topped with spoonfuls of apricot compote.

APRICOT BREAKFAST CAKE

Steps:

• Brew one cup of tea and pour in small bowl over chopped apricot pieces; stir in ground coriander; allow to soak and plump for one hour; strain apricots of liquid (there will be what appears to be sediment in the liquid - not to worry, it is the coriander and we want it!), reserving liquid; there should be about ½ cup of apricot tea, if it is less, add enough water to make it equal ½ cup
• Preheat oven to 350F and butter and flour a bundt pan (I used a silicone pan - no need to butter and flour and cake slipped right out after cooling for about 25 minutes)
• Beat butter together with sugar until creamy and fluffy, about 5-6 minutes; add baking powder, extracts, milk powder and zests; alternate additions of flour with apricot tea and eggs; finally, dredge apricot pieces and golden raisins in a little flour and mix them into the batter
• Spoon batter into prepared bundt pan; bake for 50-60 minutes in preheated oven, or until a sharp knife inserted into highest part of cake comes out clean (I covered my cake loosely with a piece of aluminum foil after 30 minutes); remove from oven, cool approximately 20 minutes and turn out onto serving platter; allow to cool completely and dust with icing sugar
• Note: This cake (like most cakes incorporating dried fruit) is even better after a couple of days

APRICOT FRUITCAKE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 275 degrees F (135 degrees C). Grease two 9 inch tube pans.
• In a saucepan over medium heat cook apricots in the water until they are mushy. Press them through a sieve and let them cool.
• Separate the eggs. Beat the egg yolks until lemony colored. Then beat the egg whites until stiff peaks are formed. Set aside.
• Cream the butter or margarine and sugar together. Add the beaten egg yolks and the apricots, and mix thoroughly.
• Combine the raisins, candied cherries, candied pineapple, and mixed dried fruits in a bowl coated with one cup of the flour.
• Combine the remaining flour, baking soda, and salt. Add this flour mixture alternately to the creamed mixture with the apricot juice. Blend this batter into the mixed fruits. Add the chopped pecans or walnuts and fold in the beaten egg whites. Turn the batter into the prepared pans.
• Bake at 275 degrees F (135 degrees C) for 2 hours. Garnish cakes with candied pineapples and cherries. Makes about 24 servings.

APRICOT SANDWICH TEA CAKES

Steps:

• Combine the flour and baking soda in a food processor.
• Sprinkle the butter chunks inches.
• Pulse until the consistency of fine crumbs.
• Turn out the mixture into a large bowl.
• In a medium bowl, beat the egg yolks with the brandy (orange juice or schnapps) vanilla, almond extract, lemon and orange zests and salt until well blended Stir then knead the egg yolk mixture into the flour mixture until evenly incorporated.
• If the dough seems dry, add up to 2 tbs of water a little at a time until evenly incorporated.
• Divide the dough in half.
• Place each portion between large sheets of wax paper.
• Roll out each portion 1/8" thick, check the underside of the dough and smooth out any wrinkles that form.
• Stack the rolled portions (paper still attached) on a baking sheet.
• Freeze for 15 minutes or until chilled and slightly firm.
• Preheat the oven to 350°F.
• Grease several cookie sheets or coat with nonstick spray.
• Working with 1 portion at a time and leaving the remaining dough in the freezer, gently peel away then pat one sheet of wax paper back into place.
• Flip the dough over and peel off the other sheet, throw this away.
• Using a 2-1/4" cookie cutter, cut out the cookies.
• Using a mini cutter, cut out the center piece of half of the cookies.
• Using a spatula, transfer the cookies to a baking sheet and freeze until firm again.
• Reroll the scraps, using up the dough until it's gone.
• Bake the cookies, 1 sheet at a time, in the upper rack of the oven for 8-12 minutes or until just slightly colored on the tops and started to darken at the edges.
• The cookies with the cutouts will cook faster than the ones without, so watch so those don't start to burn.
• Transfer the cookie sheet to a wire rack and et the cookies firm up for 1-2 minutes, then transfer the cookies to the wire racks, let stand until cooled Once cooled, spread about 1 tsp of the preserves or jam on the underside of each cookie bottom.
• Center the tops over the bottoms.
• Very lightly press them together until the jam shows through the cutout.
• Store in an airtight container for up to 1 week.
• Freeze for up to 2 months, but do not fill until just before serving if you plan to freeze them.

APRICOT-ALMOND TEA RINGS

Steps:

• In a large bowl, dissolve yeast in warm water. In another bowl, combine milk, butter, sugar, salt, potato flakes and eggs. Let stand 1 minute. Add milk mixture and 3 cups flour to yeast mixture; beat until smooth. Add enough remaining flour to form a soft dough., Turn onto a floured surface; knead until smooth and elastic, about 6-8 minutes. Place in a greased bowl, turning once to grease the top. Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 1 hour., Place preserves, sugar, almond paste and butter in a food processor; cover and process until blended. Punch dough down. Divide in half. On a lightly floured surface, roll each portion into 14x7-in. rectangle. Spread filling evenly to within 1/2 in. of edges. Roll up jelly-roll style, starting with a long side; pinch seams to seal., Place rolls, seam side down, on 2 parchment-lined baking sheets. Pinch ends together to form 2 rings. With scissors, cut from outside edge to two-thirds of the way toward center of rings at 1-in. intervals. Separate strips slightly; twist to allow filling to show. Let rise until doubled,35-40 minutes., Preheat oven to 375°. Bake for 18-22 minutes or until lightly browned. Remove from pans to wire racks to cool. Combine confectioners' sugar, vanilla and enough milk to reach a drizzling consistency. Drizzle over warm tea rings and sprinkle with almonds.

APRICOT TEA RINGS

Steps:

• In a large bowl, combine the flour, sugar, yeast, salt and nutmeg. In a small saucepan, heat the milk, water and butter to 120°-130°. Add to dry ingredients; beat until moistened. Beat in eggs until smooth. Cover and refrigerate overnight., In a large saucepan, combine apricots and water. Cook over medium heat for 30 minutes or until the water is absorbed and apricots are tender. Remove from the heat; stir in the brown sugar, juice and nuts. Cool., Punch dough down. Turn onto a lightly floured surface; divide in half. Roll one portion into an 18x12-in. rectangle. Spread half of filling over rectangle to within 1/2 in. of edges. Roll up jelly-roll style, starting with a long side; pinch seam to seal., Place seam side down on a greased baking sheet; pinch ends together to form a ring. Repeat for second ring. With scissors, cut each from outside edge two-thirds toward center of ring at 1 in. intervals. Separate strips slightly: twist so filling shows, slightly overlapping with previous piece. Cover; let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 1 hour., Bake at 375° for 25-28 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from pans to wire racks to cool. , In a small bowl, combine confectioner's sugar and enough milk to achieve desired consistency; drizzle over warm tea rings.

APRICOT CHEESECAKE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Line a 9-inch springform pan with parchment paper.
• Combine almond flour, brown sugar, and almonds in a bowl. Add melted butter; stir with a fork until the mixture resembles wet sand. Spread on the bottom of the parchment-lined pan.
• Combine apricots and water in a saucepan; bring to a boil and simmer until very soft, about 10 minutes. Drain; mash apricots into a pulp. Add amaretto; mix well. Sweeten with 1 teaspoon white sugar.
• Beat cream cheese, 3/4 cup white sugar, 1/2 cup sour cream, cornstarch, and 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract in a bowl using an electric mixer on low speed. Add eggs one at a time; mix well. Fold in 2 tablespoons of apricot pulp; reserve remainder for topping. Pour cheesecake batter into the pan, covering the crust.
• Bake in the preheated oven until edges are puffed and surface of cheesecake is firm except for a small spot in the center that will jiggle when the pan is gently shaken, about 45 minutes.
• Beat 1 1/2 cups sour cream, 3 tablespoons white sugar, and 1 teaspoon vanilla extract together until combined. Remove cheesecake from the hot oven; spoon topping over the surface and return cake to the oven for 8 minutes more.
• Cool to room temperature, about 1 hour. Refrigerate for 6 to 8 hours. Top with remaining apricot pulp.

LITTLE APRICOT CAKES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°. Coat muffin cups with nonstick spray. Whisk flour, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl. Using an electric mixer, beat butter and sugar in another medium bowl, occasionally scraping down sides of bowl, until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add egg, lemon zest, and vanilla and beat until combined.
• With mixer on low speed, add dry ingredients in 3 additions alternately with milk in 2 additions, beginning and ending with dry ingredients. Divide batter among muffin cups (cups will be only 1/3 full) and smooth tops. Top with apricot slices and sprinkle with raw sugar.
• Bake until cakes are golden and a tester inserted into the centers comes out clean, 20-25 minutes. Transfer pan to a wire rack; let pan cool 5 minutes. Transfer cakes to rack and let cool completely.
• DO AHEAD: Cakes can be made 1 day ahead. Store airtight at room temperature.

APRICOT CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Use a little of the butter to grease a 9-inch round baking pan with a removable bottom. Dust the pan with a little of the flour. Sift the remaining flour with the baking powder and salt and set aside.
• Cream the remaining butter with the brown sugar. Beat in the eggs, one at a time. Stir in the flour mixture and the vanilla.
• Spread the batter in the baking pan. Arrange the apricot slices on the top. Put in the oven and bake about 25 minutes, until the top of the cake looks fairly firm and is just beginning to brown.
• Sprinkle with the granulated sugar, return to the oven and bake another 10 to 15 minutes, until the cake is nicely browned. Remove from the oven, allow to cool 10 minutes, then remove the sides of the pan. Serve the cake while it is still warm, with creme fraiche, whipped cream or vanilla frozen yogurt on the side.

ORANGE & APRICOT LOAF CAKE

Steps:

• Heat oven to 160C/140C fan/gas 3. Grease and line a 900g loaf tin with baking parchment. In a saucepan, heat the apricots with the orange zest and all but 1 tbsp of the juice. Simmer gently for 5 mins until the apricots have absorbed all the juice. Set aside to cool.
• Beat the butter and sugar in a bowl until light and fluffy. Gradually beat in the eggs, then fold in the flour. Stir in the cooled apricots. If the mixture is dry at this stage, add a drop of milk.
• Scrape the batter into the tin and smooth the top with a spatula. Bake for 50 mins-1 hr until a skewer inserted into the middle comes out clean. Cool in the tin for 10 mins before removing, then leave on a wire rack to cool completely.
• Gradually add the reserved orange juice to the icing sugar, stirring until smooth and slightly runny. Drizzle the icing in a zigzag pattern over the top of the cake and leave to set.