Petite Apricot Pastries Food

APRICOT CLAFOUTI

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Butter a 9- to 10-inch shallow pie plate.
• Combine the egg yolks and 1/3 cup of the sugar in a large bowl. Using an electric mixer, beat on medium-high speed until ribbons form when you lift the beater just slightly out of the batter, about 3 minutes. Add the flour, heavy cream and vanilla extract. Reduce the speed to low and beat until thoroughly blended, stopping the mixer occasionally to scrape down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula.
• Slide the prepared pie plate into the oven to preheat for 4 to 5 minutes. Meanwhile, whisk together the egg whites and salt in a small bowl for 30 seconds; add to the batter and beat with the mixer on low speed until just incorporated, 1 to 2 minutes. Combine the apricots, lemon zest and the remaining 2 tablespoons sugar in a medium bowl, and gently stir until the apricots are thoroughly coated. Remove the pie plate from the oven, pour in the apricots in a decorative pattern, and top with the batter.
• Bake until set in the middle, 30 to 35 minutes. Serve warm with a small dollop of the whipped cream, if using.
• Add the heavy cream, sugar, vanilla and lemon zest to a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Whip just until soft peaks form.

MINI APRICOT TARTS

Steps:

• Thaw phyllo pastry dough. You can either remove the filo dough from the box and thaw overnight in the refrigerator or thaw it for about 3 hours at room temperature.
• Preheat oven to 375 degrees F or 190 degrees C
• Microwave butter to melt it. Mix 1/3 cup granulated sugar and 1teaspoon of ground cinnamon and set aside.
• Use a little of the butter with a brush to lightly coat/grease the cupcake pan in each of the 12 sections to prevent sticking. You can also use a little oil spray if desired.
• Mix together ½ cup apple sauce, ½ cup apricot freezer jam and 1teaspoon ground cinnamon and mix together. Set aside.
• Open up phyllo (filo) pastry dough package and unfold the thin layers. Cover with a lightly damp tea towel. We found it is super helpful to prevent drying out to fold over the filo dough in the plastic it came in first and then cover with the damp tea towel.
• Remove one of the very thin phyllo dough sheets from the package and place flat on a clean dry surface. Brush the super thin phyllo pastry sheet lightly with the melted butter all over. Be very gentle. Then, sprinkle on a little bit of the sugar and cinnamon mixture. After that, add a new thin phyllo dough sheet right on top of the buttered and cinnamon sugared phyllo dough sheet. Brush this second phyllo sheet with butter and sprinkle on with a little cinnamon sugar mixture. Repeat this process 6 times for a total of 6 layers. Due to the sizing of our phyllo dough sheets, we continued the process for another6 layers with another batch so that we could make 12 mini apricot tarts. Remember:Cover the remaining phyllo pastry dough that you are not using with a damp tea towel to prevent drying out of the phyllo pastry sheets. If the phyllo dough sheets slightly tear, do not sweat it. Just butter it up and put a new layer on top. This is a rustic tart, and no one will ever know.
• Get a very sharp knife and cut the prepared layered phyllo pastries that have been brushed with butter and sprinkled with cinnamon sugar between layers once lengthwise. Then cut the pastry in 3 slices horizontally so you have a total of 6 squares in each of the two prepared phyllo sheets for a total of 12 squares.
• Then gently place each of the squares into the prepared cupcake trays and press down lightly to make room for the apricots and apricot jam mixture
• Place about 1.5 tablespoons of the prepared apricot jam, applesauce and cinnamon mixture in each of the 12 filo pastry shells. Then place on 2 slices of fresh apricots or about 2 tablespoons or chopped apricots on each. No need to peel the apricots
• Bake Mini Apricot tarts for about 13-15 minutes or until the phyllo dough is bronzed and the pastry dough is nice and crispy.
• Mini Apricot Tarts can be served hot out of the oven or at room temperature. Garnish with a little homemade coconut whipped topping or ice cream as desired. Enjoy!
• Leftover mini apricot tarts can be refrigerated for up to 3 days and can be reheated in the oven for just about 5-10 minutes at 325 degrees F (162degrees C) just to crisp back up. You can also store the prepared tarts in the freezer for up to one month. However, do not thaw the frozen mini apricot tarts at room temperature or they will get soggy. Instead, take them directly from the freezer to the oven to reheat to keep them crisp.

FRENCH APRICOT PASTRY RECIPE

Steps:

• The day before, make the pastry cream.
• In a medium sauce pan add the milk, sugar, and vanilla bean paste and pod. Bring to a simmer and the vanilla seeds rise to the top. Fish out the vanilla bean pod with tongs, and allow the milk mixture to cool slightly.
• In a large mixing bowl add egg yolks and cornstarch. Whisk together until a pale-yellow paste forms. Slowly add the milk mixture to the paste mixture, whisking until combined.
• Strain mixture through a fine mesh sieve into a cleaned-out sauce pot. Heat mixture on medium high heat, whisking all the while until thickened. Soon after a pastry cream will begin to form. Whisk until it reaches pudding-like consistency. Whisk in butter.
• Transfer pastry cream to a shallow bowl and cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight or until completely cooled.
• Drain apricots of their syrup and place on a plate. Place 1 puff pastry square on a floured surface, rotating it to a diamond shape facing you. Spread 2 tablespoons of pastry cream in the center of the diamond. Spread out to about 3 inches long. Place apricots, cut side down at the edge of the pastry cream.
• Brush the perimeter of the pastry with egg wash. Then take the two-outer points of the diamond, at the sides and bring them towards the center, folding one over the other and brushing seal with the egg wash to affix it together. Brush the outer pastry area with egg wash as well.
• At this point, pastry cream should not be visible when you fold this up, only apricots should be visible.
• Gently place a floured metal spatula under the pastry and transfer to a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
• Continue the process until 6 pastries are formed. Place the tray in the fridge, tented lightly with foil until ready to bake.
• To bake place pastries into a pre-heated 400F (200C) oven for 20-25 mins or until golden brown and puffed up. Allow to cool slightly.
• Meanwhile place the apricot jam in a sauce pan to melt the jam and liquefy. Brush the jam on the pastries and apricots to create a shiny surface. Transfer to a platter and serve immediately.

APRICOT PASTRIES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°.
• For Apricots: Cook apricots in water till tender, then cool. Set aside. *Note: Apricots will soak up all of the 2 cups of water, there should be no water left. If apricots are still not tender when the water has been absorbed, add more water by the tablespoon full. Do not over water. *Note Apricots from a box may be tart, add small amount of sugar to sweeten. For best results use dried apricots found in the produce section usually in celophane bags.
• For Pastry Crust: Sift together flour, sugar and salt.
• Cut in shortening with pastry cutter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs.
• Scald milk and let it cool till it is just warm.
• Add yeast to milk and let soften.
• Add egg and vanilla to milk mixture.
• Add milk mixture to the flour mixture.
• Mix well.
• Divide dough into four parts.
• Form each part of dough into a square.
• On a surface well dusted with the powdered sugar/flour mixture, roll one part of the dough at a time to make 4 ten inch squares.
• Cut each square into sixteen 2½-inch squares.
• Forming the Pastries: Place heaping teaspoons of apricots in center of each individual square.
• Pinch two opposite corners together.
• Place two inches apart on greased cookie sheet.
• Let stand ten minutes. *Note: Most yeast recipes require the dough to be left to rise. This 10 minutes to stand after forming the pastry is the only rising this recipe requires.
• Bake at 350° for ten to twelve minutes.
• Remove at once from pan to cool on rack.
• Sprinkle with powdered sugar.

APRICOT PIE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C).
• Mix 2 1/2 cups of flour and the salt in a bowl; cut the shortening into the flour mixture with a pastry cutter until the mixture is crumbly. Using a fork, mix in water, 1 tablespoon at a time, until the dough just holds together. Divide the dough in half and form each half into a ball. Working on a floured work surface, roll each ball out into a crust big enough for a 9-inch pie dish with an inch or so to spare. Carefully lift a crust, fold into quarters, position into pie dish, and unfold the crust. Set the other crust aside.
• Mix the sugar, 1/4 cup flour, and cinnamon together in a large bowl until thoroughly combined; stir in the lemon juice and apricots. Spoon the apricot filling over the pie crust in the dish, and top with the reserved crust. Crimp the edges of the crusts together with a fork, cut away the excess crust, and cut slits into the pie to allow steam to escape. Cover the edges of the pie crust with strips of aluminum foil to prevent burning.
• Bake on center rack of the preheated oven until the pie is browned and the filling is bubbling and thickened, 35 to 45 minutes. Remove to a rack to cool and sprinkle top with 1 teaspoon of sugar.

APRICOT & ALMOND BISTRO TART

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 220C/gas 7/fan 200C. Unroll the pastry on to a lightly dampened baking sheet (this creates steam which helps puff up the pastry), then sprinkle over the ground almonds. Lay the apricot halves over the top, nestling them closely together, right up to the edge of the pastry.
• Dust with the icing sugar and bake for 20-25 minutes until the sugar starts to caramelise a little. If you like, drizzle with maple syrup and serve hot, warm or cold. If you really want to indulge, serve with a spoonful of clotted cream or a pouring of single cream.