Chocolaty Apricots Food

CHOCOLATE-DIPPED APRICOTS

Steps:

• Line a baking sheet with parchment or wax paper.
• Place the crushed walnuts into a small bowl, and shredded coconut into a second bowl. And have the bottle of colorful sprinkles nearby.
• First, start with melting dark chocolate. Melt dark chocolate first in a small bowl either in microwave, stirring every 30 seconds, or on stove top in a double boiler.
• Holding the apricot by the tip, dip most of the fruit into the melted chocolate. Remove it from the chocolate and drag it along the lip of the bowl, removing excess chocolate.
• Sprinkle one side of the apricot with crushed walnuts, or with coconut or colored sprinkles.
• Place the candy on parchment paper, and repeat for the remaining apricots.
• Place in the refrigerator to set for approximately 10 to 15 minutes. Best served at room temperature.
• yields: 2 to 4 dozen

CHOCOLATE CHIP-APRICOT COOKIES

Steps:

• Beat the butter, brown sugar and granulated sugar with an electric mixer on medium speed in a large bowl until fluffy. Add the vanilla and egg and beat to combine.
• Whisk together the flour, baking soda and salt in a medium bowl. Add the flour mixture to the butter mixture and beat until just combined. Stir in the chocolate chips and dried apricots.
• Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. Scoop slightly mounded tablespoons of the dough and roll into balls. Arrange the balls about 2 inches apart on the prepared baking sheets and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
• Position oven racks in the top and bottom thirds of the oven and preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• Bake the cookies until they are set and golden on the bottom, 12 to 15 minutes. Let cool on the baking sheets for 10 minutes, then transfer to racks to cool completely.

CHOCOLATE-DIPPED APRICOTS

Steps:

• Line 2 baking sheets with parchment or waxed paper. Melt and temper the chocolate (see pages 25-30).
• Hold an apricot half securely between your thumb and forefinger, and dip it halfway into the chocolate. Remove the apricot from the chocolate, gently shake off the excess chocolate, and place the apricot half on the paper. Repeat with the remaining apricot halves. Let the chocolate set up at room temperature, or chill in the refrigerator for 15 minutes. Between layers of waxed paper, in a tightly covered container wrapped in several layers of aluminum foil, the apricot halves will keep for 2 weeks in the refrigerator. They are best eaten at room temperature.
• VARIATIONS
• Substitute dried peaches or dried pears for the apricots. Dip these halfway into the chocolate on the diagonal for an interesting design.

WHITE CHOCOLATE APRICOT BISCOTTI

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
• Beat butter, sugar and eggs together in large bowl.
• Add in melted, cooled white chocolate.
• Add all remaining ingredients making sure to blend well.
• Dough will probably be sticky.
• Grease and flour 2 cookie sheets.
• Spoon half of the cookie dough evenly onto both cookie sheets and shape into a long wide log.
• Bake for 30 minutes then cool for 10 minutes.
• Cut into 3/4" wide slices.
• Return cookies back to sheet and cook another 20 minutes, making sure to turn cookies once during last baking.
• Cool and store in covered container.

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 COVERED APRICOTS

Steps:

• In a small bowl, melt chocolate chips in the microwave in 30-second intervals, stirring in between.
• Add shortening; stir until blended.
• Dip apricots half-way in the chocolate, shake off excess, cool on waxed paper. Let chocolate set, then refrigerate.

CHOCOLATE AND APRICOT BROWNIES

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 180C/Gas4/fan oven 160C. Lightly grease a 20cm/8in square shallow tin and line the base with greaseproof paper. Melt the butter and chocolate together in a bowl set over a saucepan of gently simmering water.
• Remove from the heat and beat in the sugar, eggs and vanilla extract. Stir in the flour, orange zest, apricots and walnuts just until well combined. Pour into the prepared tin and bake for about 40-45 minutes until a skewer inserted in the centre comes out clean and the surface is slightly cracked. Leave in the tin to cool slightly before cutting into squares. Keeps moist for 2-3 days.

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.