Apricot Yoghurt Ice Food

APRICOTS, YOGURT, AND HONEY

Steps:

• 1. Top each apricot half with 2 tablespoons of the yogurt, drizzle with the honey, sprinkle with the pistachios, and serve.
• 2. While it's not necessary, if you want to give your plain (i.e., non-Greek) yogurt a thicker consistency, line a sieve with a paper coffee filter and set it over a bowl. Empty an 8-ounce container into the sieve, cover it loosely with plastic wrap, and place it in the refrigerator for at least 6 hours.

APRICOT YOGHURT ICE

Steps:

• Place the dried apricots, orange zest and mixed spices in a microwave safe glass jug and pour water over.
• Leave uncovered and cook on HIGH (100%) for 7 minutes.
• Allow to cool, add the honey to the yoghurt and then add to the apricot mix and then using a food processor, blender or stick blender puree till smooth.
• Place the apricot puree in a freezer proof bowl (or muffin tins), lined with plastic wrap on the inside of each mould.
• Sprinkle a few pieces of walnuts into the plastic lined moulds.
• Pour yoghurt puree into each mould halfway up.
• Sprinkle remaining walnuts evenly amongst the moulds onto the yoghurt puree.
• Pour remaining yoghurt into each mould.
• Seal with another layer of plastic wrap over the top.
• Cover and freeze the apricot yoghurt until required.
• Serve prinkled with extra crushed nuts.
• CONVENTIONAL METHOD -.
• If you don't have a microwave - Place dried apricots, orange zest and mixed spices in a saucepan and cover with boiling water, leaving them to soak overnight.
• Next day check that there is enough water in the pan (add more if necessary to cover the fruit), cover with lid and cook on stove top on medium heat until apricots are soft.
• Continue from step 3 as above.

APRICOT YOGURT FOOL

Steps:

• Place the apricots, orange juice, sugar and cinnamon sticks in a pan, cover and cook gently for about 15 mins, until the apricots are very soft. Remove the cinnamon sticks and set aside to cool.
• Spoon the yogurt into a bowl and stir in the lemon zest. Fold in most of the cooled apricots, spoon into 4 serving glasses and top with the remaining fruit and any juices.

YOGURT MOUSSE WITH APRICOT SAUCE

Steps:

• Make mousse:
• Drain yogurt in a paper-towel-lined sieve set into a bowl in refrigerator, discarding liquid occasionally, 8 hours, then transfer to a clean bowl. Sprinkle gelatin over 1/4 cup milk in a small bowl and let stand 1 minute to soften.
• Scrape seeds from vanilla bean pod into remaining 3/4 cup milk in a 1-quart heavy saucepan, then add pod, sugar, and zest and bring to a simmer over moderate heat, stirring until sugar is dissolved. Stir in gelatin mixture until dissolved. Pour through a fine-mesh sieve set into a metal bowl, discarding solids, then set bowl in a larger bowl half-filled with ice and cold water and let stand, stirring frequently, until cool, about 10 minutes.
• Add milk mixture gradually to yogurt, whisking. Beat cream with an electric mixer at high speed until it just holds soft peaks, then fold into yogurt mixture gently but thoroughly. Chill mousse, covered, folding twice in first 20 minutes, until set, about 2 hours.
• Make sauce while mousse chills:
• Scrape seeds from vanilla bean pod into a 2-quart heavy saucepan, then add pod, sugar, water, apricots, and 1 teaspoon lemon juice and cook, uncovered, over moderate heat, stirring frequently and skimming off any foam, until fruit is tender, 8 to 12 minutes. Cool to room temperature, about 30 minutes. Add lemon juice to taste and discard pod. Serve sauce topped with mousse.

APRICOT FROZEN YOGURT

Steps:

• Bring sugar and 1 cup water to a boil in a 2 1/2- to 3-quart heavy saucepan over moderately high heat, stirring until sugar is dissolved. Add apricots, then reduce heat and simmer, covered, until plump and very soft, 25 to 30 minutes. Drain apricots in a sieve set over a bowl, then return syrup to pan. Cook syrup over moderate heat, swirling pan occasionally, until a deep caramel, 4 to 5 minutes. (Syrup will bubble, so remove from heat periodically to check color.)
• Carefully add 1/2 cup water to caramel (mixture will bubble up and steam vigorously), then cook over moderate heat, stirring, until caramel is dissolved. Purée apricots and caramel in a food processor until almost smooth, then cool to room temperature.
• Whisk together apricot purée and yogurt in a large bowl until combined well and chill, covered, until cold, about 4 hours.
• Sprinkle gelatin over remaining 1/4 cup water in a very small saucepan and let stand 1 minute to soften. Heat gelatin over moderate heat, stirring, until dissolved, then immediately whisk into apricot mixture.
• Freeze apricot mixture in ice cream maker. Transfer to an airtight container and put in freezer to harden.