Apricot Pear Cordials Recipes

APRICOT PEAR CORDIALS

Steps:

• Divide rock candy among containers. Add fruit and cover with vodka. Seal containers tightly and let stand for 6 weeks, preferably in a cool, dark place. Serve as an after-dinner drink or drizzle over ice cream.

FLAMBEED VANILLA-POACHED PEARS WITH APRICOT SAUCE

Steps:

• Bring 1 1/2 cups water, sugar, and vanilla extract to a boil in a saucepan over high heat. Add 3 or 4 pear halves, reduce heat to medium, and simmer gently until the pears have just turned tender, about 5 minutes. Remove cooked pears to a warm chafing dish or metal serving dish, and continue to cook the remaining pears.
• Increase heat to medium-high, and boil the syrup until it has reduced to 1 cup. Stir in apricot preserves and return to a boil. Dissolve the cornstarch in 2 tablespoons of water and stir into the simmering syrup. Cook and stir until thickened and clear, about 30 seconds.
• To serve, pour the hot sauce over the pears, and sprinkle with the rum. Carefully ignite the rum tableside with the lights turned low. Let the alcohol burn out before serving.

APRICOT POACHED PEARS

Steps:

• Put preserves in a 1-cup measure. Cook, uncovered, at 100 percent power in a high-power oven for 1 minute. Remove from oven.
• Stir in 1 tablespoon of the lemon juice and the kirsch. Pass mixture through a sieve into a shallow bowl. Set aside.
• Peel the pears and core them through the bottom. As you work, rub the pears inside and out with the remaining lemon juice to prevent discoloration.
• Roll each apricot lengthwise and put one in the cavity of each pear. Coat the pears in the apricot mixture.
• Arrange pears in a circle around the inside rim of a 2 1/4-quart souffle dish. Cover tightly with microwave plastic wrap. Cook 7 minutes. Prick plastic to release steam.
• Remove from oven and uncover. Serve hot or cold. Put each pear on a plate and spoon some of the remaining sauce over.

PEAR APRICOT JAM

Steps:

• Peel, core and chop pears.
• Juice and zest lemons.
• Place pears in pan; cover with water, juice and zest.
• Chop apricots; add to the water.
• Bring pan to a boil.
• Simmer until pears are just soft, about 10 minutes.
• Add the sugar and stir over low heat until sugar dissolves.
• Increase the heat and boil rapidly for about 20-30 minutes or until setting point is reached.
• Skim off any scum on top; pour into clean jars and seal.

POACHED PEAR AND DRIED APRICOTS WITH CHOCOLATE SAUCE

Steps:

• In a heavy saucepan combine the sugar, the rum, and 1/2 cup water and simmer the mixture for 2 minutes. Add the pear, peeled, halved, and cored, and the apricots and poach the fruit, covered, spooning the syrup over the pear occasionally, for 8 to 10 minutes, or until the pear is tender. In a small heavy saucepan combine the chocolate, 2 tablespoons water, and the vanilla and heat the mixture over low heat, stirring constantly, until it is smooth. Transfer the pear halves to a work surface, cut them diagonally, into 1/4-inch-thick slices, and fan them onto 2 plates. Sprinkle the apricots over the pear slices and spoon the chocolate sauce around the fruit.

PEAR & DRIED APRICOT CHUTNEY

Steps:

• Combine all the ingredients, except the pears, in a large, thick-bottomed saucepan and bring to the boil. Simmer uncovered over a very low heat, stirring occasionally with a wooden spoon. Continue to cook for about 1 hr, giving it a stir every 10 mins, until the mixture is syrupy. Add the chopped pears and cook for another 30 mins, stirring occasionally. Leave to cool completely, then store in sterilised, clean jars.

APRICOT PEACH COBBLER

Steps:

• Drain peaches, reserving 1/2 cup syrup. Drain apricots, reserving 1/2 cup syrup. Cut apricots in half; set fruit aside. , In a large saucepan, combine the sugar, cornstarch, cinnamon, nutmeg and reserved syrups until smooth. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened. Remove from the heat; stir in butter until melted. Stir in peaches and apricots. Transfer to a greased 8-in. square baking dish. , For topping, in a large bowl, combine the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. Add egg and butter; mix well. Spoon over fruit. Bake at 350° for 40-45 minutes or until golden brown. , In a large bowl, beat the cream, honey and cinnamon until stiff peaks form. Serve with warm cobbler.

APRICOT FRUITCAKE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 275 degrees F (135 degrees C). Grease two 9 inch tube pans.
• In a saucepan over medium heat cook apricots in the water until they are mushy. Press them through a sieve and let them cool.
• Separate the eggs. Beat the egg yolks until lemony colored. Then beat the egg whites until stiff peaks are formed. Set aside.
• Cream the butter or margarine and sugar together. Add the beaten egg yolks and the apricots, and mix thoroughly.
• Combine the raisins, candied cherries, candied pineapple, and mixed dried fruits in a bowl coated with one cup of the flour.
• Combine the remaining flour, baking soda, and salt. Add this flour mixture alternately to the creamed mixture with the apricot juice. Blend this batter into the mixed fruits. Add the chopped pecans or walnuts and fold in the beaten egg whites. Turn the batter into the prepared pans.
• Bake at 275 degrees F (135 degrees C) for 2 hours. Garnish cakes with candied pineapples and cherries. Makes about 24 servings.