Individual Apricot Upside Down Puddings Food

FRESH APRICOT UPSIDE-DOWN CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375°F.
• Make topping:
• Heat butter in skillet over moderate heat until foam subsides. Reduce heat to low and sprinkle brown sugar evenly over butter, then cook, undisturbed, 3 minutes (not all of sugar will be melted). Remove skillet from heat and arrange apricot halves, cut sides down, close together on top of brown sugar.
• Make cake batter:
• Sift together flour, baking powder and soda, and salt into a small bowl.
• Beat together butter, sugar, and extracts in a large bowl with an electric mixer at medium speed until pale and fluffy, 2 to 3 minutes in a standing mixer or 3 to 4 minutes with a handheld. Beat in eggs 1 at a time, then beat until mixture is creamy and doubled in volume, 2 to 3 minutes.
• Reduce speed to low and add flour mixture in 3 batches alternately with buttermilk, beginning and ending with flour mixture, and beat just until combined.
• Gently spoon batter over apricots and spread evenly.
• Bake cake:
• If your skillet isn't ovenproof, wrap handle with heavy-duty foil (or a double layer of regular foil) before baking. Bake cake in middle of oven until golden brown and a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean, 40 to 45 minutes.
• Wearing oven mitts, immediately invert a large plate over skillet and, keeping plate and skillet firmly pressed together, invert cake onto plate. Carefully lift skillet off cake and, if necessary, replace any fruit that is stuck to bottom of skillet. Cool to warm or room temperature.

APRICOT UPSIDE DOWN PUDDINGS

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 180°C conventional (160°C fan forced). Line the bases of a 6 Texan (3/4 cup/180ml) muffin pans with a circle of baking paper.
• To make the Sauce: Place butter, dark brown sugar, water and lemon juice into a saucepan a stir over medium heat for 5 mins or until sugar has dissolved and mixture forms a sauce.
• To make the Pudding: Beat extra butter and raw caster sugar until light and creamy. Add eggs beating well between each addition.
• Stir in almond meal, flour, spices and milk. Spoon two teaspoons of sauce into the base of each muffin pan and top with apricots. Spoon pudding batter over the top of apricots.
• Bake for 20-25 mins or until cooked when tested with a skewer. Stand in pan for 5 mins then turn onto plates and enjoy with the extra sauce and cream.

LELA KORNBERG'S UPSIDE-DOWN APRICOT PUDDING

Steps:

• In a medium bowl, soak dried apricots in warm water to cover until plump, about 1 hour. Drain well, and set aside.
• In another bowl, soak prunes in 1 cup warm water to cover until plump, about 1/2 an hour. Do not drain (you need to add the soaking water to the batter along with the prunes).
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
• In a large bowl, beat eggs, sugar, cinnamon, and salt until well blended.
• Add matzah meal and potato starch; mix well. Let stand for 30 minutes.
• Add oil, apples, and prunes, along with their soaking water; mix well.
• Grease a 9x13 inch glass baking dish. Pour honey evenly into the bottom of the baking dish, then arrange the drained apricots in the honey.
• Pour the batter over, and bake at 350 for 1 hour, or until a toothpick comes out clean.
• Turn upside down down on a serving platter while still warm. Can be served warm or cold.

APRICOT UPSIDE-DOWN CAKE

Steps:

• Heat oven to 350 degrees. Prepare the topping: Lightly grease and flour a 9-inch cake pan or an 8-inch square baking pan. In a small bowl, stir together the melted butter, brown sugar, cinnamon and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Spread the brown sugary mix in an even layer on the bottom of the pan.
• Cut the apricots in half and remove the pits. Arrange the apricots, flesh-side down, evenly over the bottom of the pan.
• Prepare the cake batter: Add the flour to a medium bowl. Sift in the almond flour, then use your fingertips to break up any clumps that don't fit through the sieve. Add the baking powder and salt to the bowl and whisk to combine.
• In a large bowl with an electric hand mixer, or in a stand mixer with the paddle attached, beat the butter and granulated sugar on medium until combined and fluffy, 2 to 3 minutes. Add the vanilla extract, then the eggs, one at a time, mixing until smooth. Use a rubber spatula to scrape down the bottom and sides of the bowl.
• Add 1/3 of the flour mixture, then 1/2 of the milk, mixing to combine. Continue alternating the additions of flour and milk and mixing, scraping down the sides of the bowl, just until all is combined. (Make sure not to overmix during this step.)
• Spread the batter in an even layer over the apricot halves. Bake until the cake is set and doesn't jiggle when shaken, is golden brown on top, and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, about 35 minutes.
• Remove pan from the oven, and place on a cooling rack for 5 minutes. With the cake still in the pan, turn the pan over onto a serving platter. Wait 1 minute, then remove the pan. This cake is excellent warm, but it's also delicious at room temperature.

UPSIDE-DOWN STICKY APRICOT CAKE

Steps:

• Tip the sugar into a deep, ovenproof frying pan. Place over a high heat until caramelised, remove from the heat, then lay the apricots, cut side down, in the caramel, quartering some of the apricots to fit into the gaps. Set aside. Heat oven to 180C/fan 160C/gas 4.
• To make the cake batter, use an electric whisk to cream the butter and sugar together. Beat in the eggs one at a time, then the milk and saffron, if using. Fold in the flours and ground almonds, then beat until combined.
• Spoon dollops of the batter over the apricots and smooth over with the back of a spoon. Bake for 40 mins until puffed up and golden. Remove from the oven and leave to sit for 10 mins. Invert the cake onto a plate and leave to cool. Cut into wedges. Serve with crème fraîche, if you like.

INDIVIDUAL COCONUT & PINEAPPLE UPSIDE-DOWN CAKES

Steps:

• First, make the topping. In a small pan heat the butter, sugar and rum (if using), on a low heat until dissolved, bubble for a few mins until slightly thickened. Divide between 6 really well-greased, 200ml ramekins. Add a pineapple ring with a glacé cherry in the middle to each.
• Heat oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4. Beat together the butter and sugar with an electric whisk until pale and fluffy. Gradually beat in the eggs, then fold in the dry ingredients. Finally stir in the milk and divide the mixture between the ramekins. Put them on a baking tray and cook for 25-30 mins until risen, golden and springy to the touch.
• To serve, turn the ramekins upsidedown onto a plate or a bowl and tap gently to release. Serve with custard.