Chocolate Apricot Pie Food

CHOCOLATE-APRICOT PIE

Steps:

• Heat oven to 400°F. In a bowl, whisk eggs; set aside. In another bowl, combine chocolate, butter and vanilla. In a heavy-bottomed pot (to prevent burning), combine milk with 1/2 cup sugar and salt over medium heat; whisk constantly until mixture comes to a simmer. Remove pot from heat. Whisk milk mixture into eggs until combined. Whisk chocolate-butter mixture into milk-egg mixture; spoon custard into piecrust. Bake pie until it begins to set at edges but center jiggles slightly when you shake pan, 13 to 15 minutes. Remove pie from oven; let cool for at least 3 hours. In a bowl, 10 minutes prior to serving, toss apricots with remaining 1 tablespoon sugar; arrange apricots on top of pie.

APRICOT-CHOCOLATE PECAN PIE BITES

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or foil.
• Place the phyllo cups on the baking sheet. Add about 1/4 teaspoon apricot preserves to each cup, followed by 1/4 teaspoon mini chocolate chips; set aside.
• Combine pecans, brown sugar, half-and-half, honey, and rum extract in a small mixing bowl. Stir well. Distribute the pecan mixture equally among the phyllo cups.
• Bake in the preheated oven until edges start to turn golden brown, about 10 minutes. Let cool for about 10 minutes before serving.

CHOCOLATY APRICOTS

Steps:

• Line a baking sheet with parchment.
• Put the chocolate chips in a heatproof glass bowl and place it over a pan of simmering water. Heat the chocolate, stirring, until completely melted and smooth.
• Dip each apricot one-half to three-quarters of the way into the chocolate, letting the excess drip back into the bowl. Place on the prepared baking sheet to set.

CHOCOLATE APRICOT TART

Steps:

• For the crust: Combine the flour, almonds, sugar and salt in a food processor and blend until the nuts are finely ground. Add the butter and pulse until the mixture resembles a coarse meal. Pour in the vodka and 1 tablespoon water and pulse until the dough just comes together in a soft dough. Turn the dough out onto a piece of plastic wrap, press it into a disc and refrigerate until slightly firm, about 20 minutes.
• Turn the dough out into a 9-inch tart pan with a removable bottom. Top with a piece of plastic wrap and press the dough out evenly through the plastic wrap on the bottom and up the sides of the pan. Freeze until firm, about 30 minutes.
• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Pierce the dough lightly with a fork, and then line the crust with parchment or foil and fill with pie weights, beans or rice. Bake until the crust sets, about 20 minutes. Remove the parchment and beans and then return to the oven until the crust turns a rich golden brown, about 15 minutes longer. Let cool.
• For the apricot and chocolate filling: Combine the apricots, brandy and 1/4 cup water in a microwave-safe bowl. Cover and microwave for 2 minutes, and then set aside to plump.
• 5. Put the chocolates in a medium bowl. Heat the half-and-half in a small saucepan over medium heat. Whisk together the eggs and sugar in a separate medium bowl, and then gradually whisk in the heated cream. Pour back into the pan and cook, stirring constantly with a heatproof spatula, over medium-low heat until thick, about 1 minute. Pour the mixture over the chocolate, let set for 5 minutes, and then whisk in the butter until very smooth.
• Blend the apricots and their liquid with the vanilla in a mini food processor until very smooth. Spread 3/4 cup of the mixture over the bottom of the crust. Top with the chocolate mixture. Cover loosely and refrigerate until set, about 3 hours or up to overnight.
• Meanwhile, whip the cream until it barely holds soft peaks. Whisk in the remaining apricot mixture to make a smooth thick cream. Cover and refrigerate until ready to use. To serve, pipe or spoon small dollops of the cream around the edge of the crust.

ENGLISH CHOCOLATE TRIFLE WITH APRICOTS AND RASPBERRIES

Steps:

• For Pudding:
• Whisk yolks, sugar and cornstarch in medium bowl. Bring half and half to simmer in heavy large saucepan. Gradually whisk hot half and half into yolk mixture. Return mixture to same saucepan and whisk over medium heat until custard boils. Boil 1 minute, whisking constantly. Remove from heat. Pour pudding into large bowl. Add white chocolate and butter and whisk until smooth. Chill until thick and cold, whisking occasionally, about 3 hours.
• For Apricots:
• Line cookie sheet with foil. Brush foil lightly with vegetable oil. Combine 2/3 cup water, honey, sugar and 2 tablespoons lemon juice in heavy medium saucepan. Stir over high heat until sugar dissolves. Add apricots and bring to boil. Reduce heat, cover and simmer 10 minutes.
• Transfer 5 apricots and 1/4 cup poaching syrup to heavy small skillet. Combine remaining apricots with remaining poaching syrup, 3 tablespoons water and 2 tablespoons lemon juice in processor and puree. Pour puree into bowl. Cook apricots in skillet over high heat until syrup is reduced to glaze, turning apricots once, about 4 minutes. Using tongs, transfer candied apricots to foil. Cool. Mix any syrup from skillet into puree. (Can be prepared 1 day ahead. Cover candied apricots and puree separately and let stand at room temperature.)
• For Dark Chocolate Cream:
• Bring cream and corn syrup to simmer in heavy medium saucepan. Reduce heat to low. Add chocolate and whisk until melted. Chill until cold but still pourable, stirring occasionally, about 30 minutes.
• Cut cakes into 1/2-inch-thick slices. Cut each slice into 4 squares. Arrange enough cake in 4-quart glass trifle dish to cover bottom, fitting tightly. Mix rum and liqueur in bowl. Drizzle 3 tablespoons over cake. Drop 1/3 of apricot puree by spoonfuls over cake. Gently spread with back of spoon, allowing puree to show at sides of bowl. Reserve 1/4 basket berries for garnish. Sprinkle 1/3 of remaining berries over puree, arranging some berries to show at sides of bowl. Starting 1 inch in from sides of bowl, pour 1/3 of dark chocolate cream over, making sure it does not touch sides of bowl. Starting at edge, pour 2 cups white chocolate pudding over chocolate cream. Repeat layering with remaining cake, rum mixture, apricot puree, berries, dark chocolate cream and white chocolate pudding in 2 more layers each. Smooth top. Cover and chill overnight.
• Spoon whipped cream into pastry bag fitted with medium star tip. Pipe around edge of trifle. Top with candied apricots and reserved berries. (Can be made 8 hours ahead; chill.) Serve cold.

CHOCOLATE CHIP APRICOT COOKIES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Grease a cookie sheet.
• Mix the flour and baking soda in a bowl. In a separate bowl, beat together the butter, turbinado sugar, and brown sugar until fluffy, then beat in the egg, vanilla, and salt. Stir the flour and baking soda into the butter mixture. Fold in the chocolate chips and apricots. Drop by rounded teaspoonfuls onto the cookie sheet.
• Bake for 8 to 10 minutes in the preheated oven. Allow cookies to cool on baking sheet for 5 minutes before removing to a wire rack to cool completely.

FRESH APRICOT PIE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375°. In a large bowl, sprinkle apricots with lemon juice. Combine sugar, flour and nutmeg. Add to apricots, toss gently to coat., Line a 9-in. pie plate with bottom pastry; trim to 1 in. beyond edge of pie plate. Add filling. Roll out remaining pastry to make a lattice crust. Trim, seal and flute edges. Brush with milk and sprinkle with additional sugar. , Cover edges of pastry loosely with foil. Bake 45-55 minutes or until crust is golden brown and filling is bubbly. Cool on a wire rack.

WHITE CHOCOLATE & APRICOT CHEESECAKE

Steps:

• Break biscuits into the food processor and pulse until you have fine crumbs. Brush a little butter over the base and sides of a deep 20cm flan tin. Stir the remaining butter into the crumbs. Spoon into the flan tin, then press over the base and sides. Chill while you make the filling.
• Stone and chop 3 of the apricots into small chunks. Put the gelatine in a bowl, cover with cold water, then leave to soften for 10 mins. Break up chocolate and put in a heatproof bowl with 100ml of the double cream. Stand over a pan of simmering water, then leave until melted, stirring occasionally. Squeeze water out of the gelatine, then stir into chocolate mix. Take off the heat and stir until dissolved. Beat the soft cheese and sugar together. Whisk remaining cream until stiff, then fold into the cheese. Fold in the chocolate, followed by the chopped apricots. Pour into the prepared tin and chill for at least 4 hrs or overnight.
• Line a grill pan with foil. Cut remaining apricots into quarters, then place on the foil, cut-sides up. Dust with icing sugar and grill for a few mins until lightly browned. Cool, then arrange over the top. Shave some white chocolate curls, then pile up in the centre of the cheesecake and serve.

PRESSURE-COOKER CHOCOLATE-APRICOT DUMP CAKE

Steps:

• Spread pie filling in the bottom of a greased 1-1/2-qt. baking dish. Sprinkle with cake mix, pecans and, if desired, chocolate chips. Dot with butter. Cover baking dish with foil., Place trivet insert and 1 cup water in a 6-qt. electric pressure cooker. Fold an 18x12-in. piece of foil lengthwise into thirds, making a sling. Use the sling to lower the dish onto the trivet. Lock lid; close pressure-release valve. Adjust to pressure-cook on high for 35 minutes. Quick-release pressure. Using foil sling, carefully remove baking dish. Let stand 10 minutes. If desired, serve warm cake with ice cream.