Apricot Pastry Recipes

APRICOT PASTRY BARS

Steps:

• In a large bowl, combine the flour, 1 cup sugar, baking powder, salt and baking soda. Cut in shortening until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. , In a small bowl, whisk the egg yolks, 2 egg whites, milk and vanilla; gradually add to crumb mixture, tossing with a fork until dough forms a ball. Divide in half, making one portion slightly larger., Roll out larger portion of dough between two large sheets of waxed paper into a 17x12-in. rectangle. Transfer to an ungreased 15x10x1-in. baking pan. Press pastry onto the bottom and up the sides of pan; trim pastry even with top edges. Spread apricot filling over dough; sprinkle with walnuts. , Roll out remaining pastry to fit top of pan; place over filling. Trim, seal and flute edges. Cut slits in top. Whisk remaining egg white; brush over pastry. Sprinkle with remaining sugar. , Bake at 350° for 35-40 minutes or until golden brown. Cool on a wire rack.

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.

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 CHICKEN FILO PARCELS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 180ºC (360ºF) fan bake and line a large oven tray with baking paper.
• MAKE FILO PARCELS Dice chicken into approximately 2cm / 0.8in pieces and season with salt and pepper. Crush garlic. Drain apricots (discard syrup or save for another use). Roughly dice two thirds of the apricots, then halve the remaining third and set aside to use in the salad.
• Stir cream cheese, parmesan, thyme, rosemary, salt and pepper together in a large bowl. Add chicken, garlic and diced apricots, and mix well.
• Brush one sheet of filo with oil, place a second sheet on top and brush with oil, then add a third sheet. Add a quarter of the chicken mixture in a line along one of the short edges. Drizzle apricot sauce or chutney over the top. Fold the sides in and roll up into a parcel. Place seam-side-down on prepared tray and repeat to form four parcels.
• Brush all over with oil and sprinkle with sesame seeds. Bake for 20-25 minutes, until parcels are golden brown and cooked through.
• MAKE SALAD Meanwhile, divide rocket between individual serving plates. Spiralise or peel zucchini into ribbons. Place zucchini and reserved halved apricots on rocket. Whisk oil, vinegar and sugar together. Season to taste with salt and pepper, and drizzle over salads.
• SERVE Serve filo parcels with salad. Add an extra dollop of apricot sauce or chutney on the side, if you like.

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 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 PASTRY

Steps:

• For the dough:.
• Sift flour, baking powder and sugar into bowl.
• Add lemon rind and butter.
• Work butter into flour mixture as for pie crust.
• Add egg yolks and enough sour cream so that when it's mixed it resembles soft pie dough.
• Gather into ball and divide into 4 parts.
• Put one part to the side.
• Pat remaining dough into an ungreased 11 x 17 x 1 inch jelly roll pan.
• Bake in 350 degree F. oven for 12 minutes to set the dough.
• Remove from oven and spread with Apricot Filling.
• For the filling:.
• Place apricots in saucepan and pour enough water to cover apricots by an inch.
• Cook over medium heat until apricots are soft and liquid has been reduced, stirring occasionally so they don't stick to pan.
• Mash apricots with a fork or an immersion blender to a somewhat smooth puree.
• Add sugar to desired sweetness.
• Filling must be thick and not runny.
• Finish assembling:.
• Roll remainder of dough to 1/8" thickness and cut into 1/2" strips with pie jagger or knife.
• Arrange diagonally in lattice fashion over apricots, or you can roll pieces of dough into 1/4" diameter and arrange as above.
• Bake in 350 degree F. oven for approximately 30 minutes or until lightly browned around edges.
• Before serving sprinkle with sifted powdered sugar and cut into small squares or diamond shaped pieces.
• NOTE: I like to trim the edges of the pastry before cutting into serving pieces. It looks better, and the trimmings are delicious with coffee as the baker's reward for the work!