Apricot And Cream Cheese Pastry Recipes

APRICOT-AND-CREAM CHEESE SQUARES

Steps:

• In the bowl of a mixer fitted with the dough-hook attachment, combine yeast, 3/4 cup warm water (110 degrees), and pinch of sugar. Let stand until foamy, about 5 minutes. Beat on low speed while adding 2 tablespoons oil, salt, and 1 teaspoon sugar. Slowly add flour while beating until mixture just comes together. Increase speed to medium-high; beat until dough is soft and elastic, 3 minutes.
• Coat a 9-by-13-inch metal baking pan with 3 tablespoons oil. Transfer dough to pan; press to edges with your hands (being careful not to tear). Cover with plastic wrap and let rise in a warm place until doubled in bulk, about 1 hour.
• Preheat oven to 425 degrees with a rack in lower third. Press dimple-like indentations all over dough with your fingers. Stir together cream cheese and remaining 2 tablespoons sugar; dot all over dough. Arrange 12 apricot halves on top in a 3-by-4 grid formation. Drizzle with remaining 1 tablespoon oil. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise in a warm place until puffed, 30 minutes.
• Bake until golden brown on top, 23 to 25 minutes. Let cool in pan 10 minutes, then transfer with two large spatulas to a wire rack. Drizzle with honey and oil; let cool completely. Cut into squares and serve.

APRICOT PIE RECIPE

Steps:

• Once pie crust has cooled in the fridge at least 1 hour, and you are ready to use it, remove dough from the refrigerator and on a large sheet of parchment paper, roll it out into a 13-inch circle, sprinkling lightly with flour to keep the dough from sticking to your rolling pin.
• Transfer the dough to a 9-inch pie plate (the parchment paper makes it easy to transfer the dough; just put the rolled dough over the pie plate and peel off the paper backing.
• Take the next piece of dough out of the fridge and re-using the parchment paper, roll it into a second 12-inch circle. Use a pizza cutter to slice the second rolled dough into about 15 (3/4-inch thick) strips. Set aside until ready to use.
• Stir together the dry ingredients in a small bowl: 1/4 cup sugar, 2 Tbsp flour, 1 tsp cinnamon and 1/8 tsp salt.
• Pit apricots and slice into 1/2″ thick slices and place them in a large mixing bowl. Drizzle with 1 Tbsp lemon juice and gently stir. Sprinkle the sugar/flour/cinnamon mixture over the sliced apricots and toss gently to combine.
• Transfer prepared apricot filling into the bottom of your pie pan which should be lined with pastry dough.
• Use the strips of pastry dough to create a lattice top and crimp the edges. (See notes for full photo tutorial on how to make a lattice pie topping). I've made it easy for ya!
• Crimp together the edges or use the leftover lattice topping scraps to make a fancy woven border; Just make sure to push the border down onto the pie or it will disconnect from the pie and pieces of it will fall to the bottom of the oven and turn black (not that I'm speaking from experience ;)).
• Beat together 1 egg with 1 Tbsp cold water. Brush top and edges of pie generously with egg wash.
• Place pie on the center rack and bake at 425 ˚F for 20 minutes then place cookie sheet lined with foil under the pie to catch any drips then reduce oven to 375˚F and bake an additional 30 min until your filling is bubbling. Loosely Cover the top of the pie with foil if it is starting to brown too quickly. Here's the tough part: let the pie cool down ideally at least 2 hours so the filling thickens. If you cut it early, the pie will be too juicy and will fall apart on your plate if eaten right away. It will still taste amazing, but it firms up as it stands.

PUFF PASTRY DANISHES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 425°. Beat first 4 ingredients until smooth; beat in 1 egg yolk., Mix water and remaining egg yolk. On a lightly floured surface, unfold each sheet of puff pastry; roll into a 12-in. square. Cut each into nine 4-in. squares; transfer to parchment-lined baking sheets., Top each square with 1 tablespoon cream cheese mixture and 1 rounded teaspoon jam. Bring 2 opposite corners of pastry over filling, sealing with yolk mixture. Brush tops with remaining yolk mixture., Bake until golden brown, 14-16 minutes. Serve warm. Refrigerate leftovers.

RASPBERRY AND APRICOT RUGELACH

Steps:

• In large bowl, with mixer at low speed, beat margarine or butter with cream cheese until blended and smooth. Beat in vanilla extract, salt, 1 cup flour, and 1/4 cup sugar until blended.
• With spoon, stir in remaining flour. Divide dough into 4 equal pieces. Wrap each with plastic wrap and refrigerate until firm, at least 2 hours or overnight.
• To Prepare Filling: In medium bowl, with spoon, stir walnuts, apricots, brown sugar, 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons white sugar, and 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon until well mixed.
• Line 2 large baking sheets with foil and grease foil.
• On lightly floured surface, with floured rolling pin, roll 1 piece of chilled dough into a 9-inch round, keeping remaining dough refrigerated. Spread dough with 2 tablespoons raspberry preserves. Sprinkle with about 1/2 cup apricot filling; gently press filling onto dough. With pastry wheel or sharp knife, cut dough into 12 equal wedges. Starting at curved edge, roll up each wedge, jelly-roll fashion. Place cookies on foil-lined cookie sheet, point-side down, about 1/2 inch apart. Repeat with remaining dough, one-fourth at a time.
• Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C).
• In cup, mix remaining 2 tablespoons sugar with 1 teaspoon cinnamon. With pastry brush, brush rugelach with milk. Sprinkle with cinnamon-sugar.
• Bake rugelach at 325 degrees F (165 degrees C) on 2 oven racks about 30 to 35 minutes until golden, rotating cookie sheets between upper and lower racks halfway through baking time. Immediately remove rugelach to wire racks to cool. Store in tightly covered container.

CREAM CHEESE KOLACKY

Steps:

• Mix cream cheese and butter until smooth. Add flour slowly until well blended. Shape into a ball and chill overnight or for several hours.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (180 degrees C).
• Roll dough out 1/8 inch thick on a floured pastry board. Cut into 2 1/2 inch squares and place about 1/2 teaspoon jam or preserves in the center. Overlap opposite corners and pinch together. Place on ungreased cookie sheets.
• Bake for 10 to 12 minutes in the preheated oven. Cool on wire racks. Sprinkle kolacky lightly with confectioner's sugar.

APRICOT AND CREAM CHEESE PASTRY

Steps:

• Line a baking tray with baking paper - See Note 6Remove the pastry from the freezer and defrost - See Note 7Preheat oven to 200 degrees C (400 F).
• Drain the canned apricots through a sieve. Then place on some kitchen towel, cut side down, to remove as much moisture as possible and avoid making your pastries soggy.
• Combine cream cheese, vanilla and icing/confectioners' sugar and mix well.
• Cut the puff pastry into eight 10 cm/4" squares.
• To make the shape that I have used, fold the square loosely in half diagonally to form a triangle. - See Note 8.
• To shape the pastry, use a very sharp knife and make two cuts along the outside edge of the triangle, about ½ " wide, but not cutting right through to the tip of the triangle.
• Open the triangle and gently lift the right-hand strip of pastry over to the left, placing it on the square of pastry.Place pastry on baking tray to shape and top. (It is difficult to move once assembled).
• Repeat with the left-hand strip, taking it to the right-hand side. The pastry creates a frame around the filling.
• Divide the cream cheese mixture between the pastry shapes.
• Place an apricot half on top of the cream cheese.
• Brush the edges of the pastry with the beaten egg and sprinkle with a teaspoon of demerara sugar.
• Bake in the preheated oven for 15-20 minutes until the pastry becomes golden-brown.
• Meanwhile, add the jam to a small saucepan and heat over medium heat, adding a teaspoon of water if necessary to thin it a little. If there are large pieces of jam it will be best to push the jam through a sieve. If not, brush each apricot with some of the jam to give them a nice shine.
• Allow the pastries to cool for a few minutes before serving. However, if not serving immediately, store the cold pastries in an airtight container in the fridge for a day or two or freezer if keeping longer. Re-heat for a few minutes before serving.

APRICOT-PLUM GALETTE WITH CREAM CHEESE AND PISTACHIOS

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Roll out the puff pastry into a 12-inch square on a lightly floured surface. Transfer to the prepared baking sheet and refrigerate, 15 minutes.
• Meanwhile, make the filling: Combine the cream cheese, confectioners' sugar, 1 tablespoon flour, 1 teaspoon vanilla, the egg, lemon zest and nutmeg in a large bowl. Beat with a mixer on medium-high speed until smooth, about 2 minutes. Toss the fruit in a medium bowl with the apricot preserves and the remaining 1 tablespoon flour and 1/2 teaspoon vanilla.
• Spread the cream cheese mixture over the puff pastry, leaving a 3-inch border. Top with the fruit mixture. Fold the edge of the pastry over the fruit by about 2 inches, pleating as needed to make a circle. Lightly beat the egg with 1 teaspoon water. Brush the puff pastry with the egg wash. Refrigerate until firm, about 20 minutes.
• Scatter the butter over the fruit. Bake until the crust is golden brown and the filling is bubbling, 40 to 45 minutes, sprinkling the pistachios over the fruit during the last 15 minutes. Let cool on the baking sheet. Dust the crust with confectioners' sugar before serving.