Grilled Apricots With Bittersweet Chocolate And Almonds Food

MEYER LEMON RICOTTA CREPES WITH CANDIED ALMONDS

Steps:

• For the candied almonds: Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Heat a medium nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add the almonds, sugar and a splash of water and stir to combine. Cook until the sugar has melted and the nuts begin to caramelize, stirring occasionally, about 10 minutes. Spread the nuts out on the parchment and cool on a baking rack until the sugar hardens, about 15 minutes.
• For the ricotta: Stir together the ricotta, zest, sugar and cream in a bowl until light and fluffy.
• For the crepes: Whisk the eggs in a medium bowl until smooth. Add the milk, zest, butter and salt and whisk until combined. Add the flour and whisk until smooth. Cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes and up to 1 day.
• Preheat the oven to 200 degrees F.
• Heat a 6- to-8-inch nonstick pan over medium heat; spray with nonstick cooking spray or brush with clarified butter. Ladle in a scant 1/4 cup of the crepe batter; swirl the pan and cook until the bottom sets and turns light golden brown, 30 to 45 seconds. Flip and continue cooking until the bottom is light golden brown, another 20 seconds or so. Transfer to a plate. Repeat and stack, keeping the cooked crepes warm in the oven.
• Spoon a heaping tablespoon of the ricotta on each crepe, roll up the crepes and serve with a sprinkling of candied almonds.

GRILLED APRICOTS WITH ALMOND CREAM AND FREGOLOTTA

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°F. Toast almonds on a rimmed baking sheet, tossing once, until golden brown and fragrant, 6-8 minutes. Let cool; pulse in a food processor until mostly finely ground but there are still bits of almond.
• Mix almonds, flour, sugar, cornmeal, and salt in a large bowl, then add butter and vanilla and almond extracts and work in with your fingers or the handle of a sturdy wooden spoon. Scatter crumble, trying not to break it up too much, on a rimmed baking sheet and bake, tossing halfway through, until golden brown, 20-25 minutes. Let cool.
• Prepare a grill for medium heat. Brush the cut side of each apricot half with oil and grill apricots, cut side down, until lightly charred and juices start to seep out of fruit, 6-8 minutes. Using a metal spatula, carefully turn apricots and grill a minute or so until the other side is lightly charred. Transfer to a plate.
• Using an electric mixer, beat cream in a medium bowl until medium peaks form. Fold in almond extract, if using.
• Divide warm apricots among plates. Spoon some whipped cream on top. Drizzle with honey and scatter fregolotta crumble over.

MIXED GREENS WITH APRICOT VINAIGRETTE AND ALMONDS

Steps:

• Whisk together the vinegar and jam in a small bowl and season with salt and pepper. Slowly whisk in the olive oil until emulsified.
• Put the greens in a large bowl, toss with the vinaigrette and top with the almonds.

SWIRLED ALMOND-APRICOT BARK

Steps:

• Line a baking sheet with foil, shiny-side up; smooth out the creases. Make sure all your tools are dry.
• Chop the bittersweet and white chocolate into 1/2-inch pieces with a large knife. Place all but 1/2 cup of the bittersweet chocolate in a microwave-safe bowl. Microwave 15 seconds, then stir with a rubber spatula. Continue microwaving and stirring at 15-second intervals until melted, about 3 minutes total. Immediately add the reserved chopped bittersweet chocolate to the bowl; stir vigorously until melted and shiny. Repeat with the white chocolate in a separate bowl. Don't worry if there are a few small unmelted pieces.
• Pour the 2 chocolates side by side onto the prepared baking sheet; use the rubber spatula to swirl them together and spread into a 10-to-12-inch circle, about 1/4 inch thick.
• Press the almonds and apricots into the chocolate, arranging them so each bite has a mix of flavors and textures. Sprinkle with fennel seeds. Let the bark harden completely at room temperature, about 1 hour. (If the room is warm, you may need to freeze the bark for a few minutes.) Break into pieces and store in an airtight container at room temperature for 1 to 2 weeks.

CHOCOLATE ALMOND APRICOT BRITTLE

Steps:

• Grease a rimmed baking sheet with vegetable oil. In a small bowl, toss together the almonds, chocolate chips, and apricots. Put them on the baking sheet, spreading them out into an even single layer across the entire baking sheet.
• In a medium saucepan stir together the sugar and the water. Cook over medium-high heat, stirring until sugar dissolves. Do not stir after that. Instead, using a pastry brush dipped in water, brush the sides of the pan a few times to incorporate any sugar that has stuck to the sides of the pan. Continue cooking until the sugar syrup turns golden brown, about 15 to 20 minutes. Carefully pour the caramelized sugar over the nut mixture on the
• cookie sheet. Also, be careful not to move the cookie sheet after the sugar has been poured. The baking sheet will be very hot in the beginning. Let cool for at least 2 hours.
• Break the brittle into pieces and place on a serving dish.

CHOCOLATE RASPBERRY BARS WITH WHITE CHOCOLATE AND ALMONDS

Steps:

• Position a baking rack in the center of the oven. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Butter and flour a 9 by 13-inch baking pan.
• In a small saucepan, stir the jam constantly over low heat until pourable, about 1 minute. Set aside.
• In a large bowl, blend together the brownie mix, eggs, vegetable oil, and water. Using an electric hand mixer beat for 1 minute on medium speed. Pour the batter into the prepared pan. Spoon the jam over the top of the brownie batter. Using a small spatula, swirl jam into the brownie batter. Bake for 27 to 30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted about 1-inch from the edge of the pan comes out clean. Spread with the melted chocolate and sprinkle with salted almonds. Transfer the pan to a wire rack to cool.
• Cut into 16 bars and store airtight in a plastic container for up to 1 week.