Cognac Glazed Dried Apricots With Cinnamon Spiced Yogurt Food

COGNAC-GLAZED DRIED APRICOTS WITH CINNAMON-SPICED YOGURT

Steps:

• For yogurt:
• Stir yogurt and cinnamon in medium bowl to blend. Cover and chill at least 1 hour and up to 1 day.
• For apricots:
• Cook orange peel in boiling water 5 minutes. Drain and reserve peel.
• Melt butter in medium skillet over medium heat. Whisk in sugar. Add apricots; toss. sauté until beginning to brown in spots, about 8 minutes. Add 1 cup orange juice and reserved orange peel. Simmer uncovered until juice is reduced to thick syrup and apricots are tender, stirring occasionally, about 8 minutes. DO AHEAD Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover; chill. Bring to simmer before continuing.
• Add Cognac to simmering apricots; ignite with long match. Let flames subside, shaking skillet occasionally. Mix in remaining 2 tablespoons orange juice and simmer 1 minute, stirring.
• Spoon chilled yogurt into 6 dessert dishes. Spoon warm apricots and syrup over. Sprinkle with pistachios and mint.

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.

DRUNKEN SPICED APRICOTS WITH WHITE CHOCOLATE COCONUT SAUCE

Steps:

• Apricots:.
• Combine all Apricot ingredients in a saucepan and simmer on low heat for 30 minutes.
• Remove from Heat and place in a heat proof bowl and let stand, covered for at least 1 hour.
• Sauce:.
• Chop chocolate into small pieces.
• Using a double boiler (or a ceramic or metal bowl over a pot of simmering water - don't let the water touch the bottom of the bowl) heat the coconut milk.
• As the coconut milk starts to get hot, add the chopped chocolate, stirring constantly until chocolate is melted.
• Add the Vanilla Essence and stir quickly to avoid the sauce separating.
• To Serve:.
• Remove the whole spices from the apricots and re heat if you wish.
• Place equal portions of the apricots into serving bowls and drizzle a little of the orange cointreau sauce over them.
• Pour the warm coconut chocolate sauce over the top.
• Can also be served with vanilla ice-cream.

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.

SPICED APRICOTS

Steps:

• Drain apricots, reserving syrup; set apricots aside. In a small saucepan, combine the vinegar, allspice, cinnamon and reserved syrup. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 15 minutes. , Remove from the heat; stir in apricots. Cover and let stand for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Drain if desired. Serve warm or cold.

DRIED FRUITS IN COGNAC

Steps:

• Tip the sugar into a measuring jug and pour over boiling water to the 400ml mark. Add the cinnamon stick, broken in two, and stir to dissolve the sugar.
• Put the fruits and cognac into a pan, pour over the syrup and bring to the boil. Simmer, partly covered, for 15 mins, then remove from the heat and leave to cool for a few minutes if serving warm, or chill if serving cold. Serve with some crème fraîche or ice cream.