Apricot Honey Butter Recipes

SALTED APRICOT-HONEY COBBLER

Steps:

• Heat oven to 350 degrees.
• Make the shortcake topping: Combine flour, oats, sugar, baking powder and salt in a large bowl. Using your hands, rub the butter into the flour mixture until there are no large chunks left. Add 1/2 cup heavy cream and mix just until blended, then turn the dough out onto lightly floured work surface.
• Knead dough just until it's no longer super-sticky, and then pat the dough out so it's 1-inch thick. (The shape here doesn't matter; you'll be cutting out circles.) Using a 2-inch-round cutter, or something approximately that size (water glasses and Mason jars also work), punch out as many shortcakes as you can. Gently gather and re-pat the scraps so they're 1-inch thick and repeat until all the dough is used. You should have 8 or 9 shortcakes.
• Prepare the filling: Toss apricots with honey, cornstarch, lime juice and kosher salt in a 2-quart baking dish (an 8-by-11-inch or 9-by-13-inch dish will work), then flip the fruit so they are all cut-side up. The apricot pieces will overlap a bit, and this is fine. Top with shortcakes; they will puff and spread quite a bit, so leave them well spaced. The idea is to have lots of fruit exposed once baked, so don't worry about the shortcakes covering every square inch. Brush the shortcakes with cream, and sprinkle with a little bit of sugar and flaky sea salt.
• Bake until shortcakes are golden brown and the juices of the apricot have thickened and bubbled up around the edges of the baking dish, 40 to 45 minutes.
• Remove from oven and let cool slightly before eating (though it's even better at room temperature). This cobbler is the best the day it's made, but it can be baked a day ahead and stored tightly wrapped at room temperature.

HONEY-APRICOT BARS

Steps:

• In 2-quart saucepan, cook all filling ingredients except egg over medium heat about 15 minutes, stirring frequently, until slightly thickened. Pour mixture into food processor. Cover; process 10 to 15 seconds, pulsing on and off, until finely chopped. Add egg. Cover; process, pulsing on and off, until mixed.
• Heat oven to 350°F (if using dark or nonstick pan, heat oven to 325°F). Grease bottom and sides of 13x9-inch pan with shortening or cooking spray.
• In large bowl, mix all crust ingredients with fork until crumbly. Pat half of the mixture in bottom of pan. Spread filling over base. Sprinkle with remaining oat mixture; press lightly.
• Bake 25 to 35 minutes or until edges are golden brown. Cool completely, about 1 hour. For bars, cut into 6 rows by 4 rows.

APRICOT HONEY BUTTER

Steps:

• Grate rind and squeeze juice from lemons; you'll need 2 tablespoons grated rind and 1/2 cup lemon juice.
• Combine apricots, lemon rind, water, lemon juice in a medium saucepan. Don't use aluminum; stainless steel is good.
• Bring to a boil over high heat, cover, reduce heat to low and STIRRING FREQUENTLY, keep at a low boil for 35 - 40 minutes or until apricots are tender.
• CAREFULLY pour into blender or food processor and process until smooth. Return to saucepan.
• Add honey; stir and return to boil. Again reduce heat and cook, UNCOVERED, at a low boil until very thick. STIR FREQUENTLY.
• Ladle into hot sterilized jars. Remove air bubbles, wipe rims, add hot lids and rings.
• Process in boiling water bath for 5 minutes OR refrigerate and use within 1 month.

PISTACHIO ORANGE CHERRY CRAISIN SCONES WITH APRICOT HONEY BUTTER

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Mix flour, sugar, baking powder, pistachio's, chopped cherry crasins, and orange zest together. Cut butter into small chunks and mix with dry ingredients. Use pastry cutter or fork and cut butter into dry ingredients until texture resembles course cornmeal. Mix milk, egg, and oranges together. Pour wet ingredients into dry ingredients. Stir until mixture pulls away from the sides. If mixture seems a little wet add a little more flour until it pulls away easily. Pour dough unto floured surface and knead 11 times. Remove dough carefully and place on cookie sheet forming a circle. Do not over handle the dough! Cut into 8 slices but don't separate pieces. Sprinkle with sugar and bake in oven until golden brown about 15-20 minutes. Serve warm with Apricot Honey Butter (recipe below).
• In small bowl whip butter until light and fluffy. Mix in honey and preserves by hand until blended. Adjust taste by adding a little more honey and preserves if necessary. Spread on warm scones. Store in air tight container in refrigerator.

APRICOT PANCAKES WITH HONEY BUTTER

Steps:

• For the honey butter, beat the butter with the honey and spoon onto a large piece of cling film. Squeeze into a sausage shape, then wrap tightly and chill until ready to use. Will keep in the fridge for up to a month.
• Sift the flour, bicarbonate of soda and a small pinch of salt into a bowl, then stir through the sugar and make a well in the centre. Beat together the egg and milk, then gradually pour into the well, stirring slowly, to avoid creating lumps. Stir in the apricots.
• Heat a non-stick frying pan over a low heat and add a little oil. Drop in 4 tablespoonfuls of batter and cook for 1 min or until the surface of each pancake is covered in bubbles. Flip with a palette knife or fish slice, then cook for a further min. Repeat with the remaining batter. Serve warm or leave to cool, then toast and spread with the honey butter to serve

FRESH APRICOT-HONEY SPONGE CAKE (RUSSIAN STYLE)

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 300 degrees F (150 degrees C). Grease a 9-inch cake pan with butter, and dust with bread crumbs; set aside.
• Melt butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. Add the sliced apricots, and drizzle with honey. Cover, and cook gently until the apricots have softened, then allow to cool to room temperature.
• Meanwhile, beat the egg whites to soft peaks with an electric mixer. Slowly pour in sugar while continuing to beat to stiff peaks; set aside.
• Beat the egg yolks on low speed for a few seconds until slightly thickened. Slowly pour in sugar while continuing to beat until thickened and light-colored. Beat in milk, then sift together flour with baking powder, and fold into yolks along with cooled apricot mixture, walnuts, and egg whites until combined.
• Pour into prepared pan, and bake in the middle or bottom of the preheated oven until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, about 50 minutes. Loosen the cake by running a knife around the edges of the pan. Invert cake onto a plate, then place another plate on the cake bottom, and flip right-side-up; cool completely before serving.