Lemon And Thyme Apricot Marmalade Food

FRENCH LEMON-APRICOT TART

Steps:

• Place the flour, confectioners' sugar, butter and salt in a food processor. Cover and pulse until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Add egg yolk, processing just until mixture forms a soft dough. Shape into a ball, then flatten into a disk. Wrap and refrigerate for at least 1 hour. , Press dough onto the bottom and up the sides of an ungreased 9-in. fluted tart pan with a removable bottom. Bake at 400° until golden brown, 10-12 min. Cool on a wire rack. Reduce heat to 325°., In a small heavy saucepan over medium heat, whisk the eggs, lemon juice, sugar and lemon zest until blended. Add butter; cook, whisking constantly, until mixture is thickened and coats the back of a spoon. Pour into crust. Bake for 8-10 minutes or until set. Cool on a wire rack. , Spread preserves over tart. Garnish with mint if desired. Refrigerate leftovers.

APRICOT LEMON MARMALADE

Steps:

• Remove and reserve seeds from unpeeled quartered orange and lemon.
• Put seeds and 2 tablespoons of water in small bowl. Cover and set aside.
• Blend or process chopped orange, lemons and apricots, in batches, until finely chopped.
• Combine fruit mixture with the extra water in large saucepan; bring to a boil.
• Reduce heat and simmer, covered, 45 minutes.
• Transfer mixture to large heatproof bowl; cover.
• Stand fruit mixture and seed mixture, separately, overnight.
• Drain seeds over small bowl; reserve liquid and discard seeds.
• Measure fruit mixture and allow 1 cup sugar to each cup of fruit mixture.
• Return fruit mixture with reserved seed liquid to pan; bring to a boil.
• Add sugar and stir over heat, without boiling, until sugar dissolves.
• Boil, uncovered, stirring occasionally, about 30 minutes or until marmalade jells when tested.
• Stand 5 minutes.
• Pour hot marmalade into hot sterilised jars, seal while hot.

DRIED APRICOT MARMALADE

Steps:

• Soak apricots in water overnight; drain and cut into pieces.
• Peel citrus fruit and remove white pith.
• Shred colored peel and chop fruit finely; add lemon juice and apricots.
• Add pineapple.
• Measure fruit and add an equal volume of sugar.
• Cook until thick, stirring carefully to prevent scorching.
• Add pine nuts, if desired.
• Fill sterilized jars, cover and process in a boiling water bath for ten minutes to seal.

LEMON AND THYME APRICOT MARMALADE

Steps:

• Before starting to cook anything, make sure the apricots are also chopped. This is a multitasking recipe!
• In a small sauce pan, simmer thyme and lemon seeds in 1 cup water 5 minute Remove thyme and keep water. Add lemon slices and lemon juice to water. Simmer on low 20 min uncovered.
• While the lemons are simmering, add sugar and 1/4 cup water to apricots in a large pot over medium heat. Cook until apricots are soft and start falling apart. It should be about the same amount of time the lemons are cooking. Add the lemons to the apricots, turn off heat, and let sit 10 minute.
• Bring mixture to a boil. Cook 10-12 minutes, stirring often.
• To preserve, use a RWB with 1/2 pint jars 10 minutes, then turn off heat and remove lid, let sit 5 minute.

LEMON MARMALADE

Steps:

• Chill a saucer in the freezer, ready for checking the setting point of your jam. Wash the lemons and remove the top 'button' which would have been attached to the stalk. Put the lemons in a large saucepan with 2.5 litres water. Bring to the boil, then cover the pan and simmer for 2½ hrs or until the lemon skins are lovely and tender, and can be pierced easily with a fork.
• When the lemons are cool enough to handle, remove from the saucepan. Measure the cooking liquid - you'll need 1.5 litres in total. If you don't quite have this, make up the difference with water. If you have too much liquid, bring to the boil and reduce to the required amount.
• Halve the lemons and remove the pips - reserving the pips and any lemon juice that oozes out during the process. Cut the lemon peel and flesh into strips, as thick or thin as you like. Put all of this, including any juices, back into the pan. Put the pips in a small piece of muslin and tie up with string. Add this to the pan, as the pips will aid the setting process of the jam.
• Add the sugar and bring to the boil, stirring until it has completely dissolved. Boil rapidly for about 20 mins until setting point is reached. Test the setting point by dropping a little marmalade onto the chilled saucer, allowing it to cool for 1 min, then pushing gently with your finger. If the marmalade crinkles, the setting point is reached; if not, continue to boil and check again in a few mins.
• Leave to cool for 10-15 mins (this will prevent the lemon shreds sinking to the bottoms of the jars), remove the muslin bag, then gently stir in one direction to disperse any scum (small air bubbles on the surface). Pour jam into warm sterilised jars and seal straight away.

SUMMER APRICOT VICTORIA SPONGE

Steps:

• Heat the oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4. Butter and line the base and sides of two 20cm sandwich tins.
• Beat the butter and sugar together in a large bowl with an electric whisk for 8-10 mins, or until pale and fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Sift in the flour, baking powder and salt, and fold in using a large metal spoon. Add just enough of the milk to create a dropping consistency.
• Divide the batter between the prepared tins and smooth the tops with a spatula. Bake on the middle shelf of the oven for 25-30 mins, or until golden and firm to the touch. Leave to cool slightly in the tins, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
• Meanwhile, make the filling. Spoon the conserve into a small pan and stir in the apricots and whole thyme sprigs. Warm over a low heat for 2 mins until loosened, then transfer to a heatproof bowl and leave to cool and infuse for 1-2 hrs.
• Whip the cream with the icing sugar and vanilla until the mixture just holds its shape (be careful not to overwhip - see tip, below).
• Remove and discard the whole thyme from the conserve mixture and stir in the thyme leaves. Spread the mixture over one of the sponges, then top with the vanilla whipped cream and sandwich with the remaining sponge. Dust the cake with some icing sugar. Will keep in the fridge for up to three days.