Vanilla Jellies With Apricot Raspberry Compote Recipes

VANILLA JELLIES WITH APRICOT & RASPBERRY COMPOTE

Steps:

• Soak the gelatine for 10 mins in enough cold water to cover the leaves. Bring the milk and 50g sugar slowly to the boil, gently stirring to dissolve the sugar. Remove from the heat and stir in the vanilla extract or rosewater. Remove gelatine from soaking water, squeeze out water, then stir into the milk until it has dissolved. Pour the jellies into 4 x 150ml moulds, cups or ramekins. Cool, then chill until set, about 3 hrs.
• Halve and stone the apricots, then cut each half into 4. Put in a pan with the apple juice and 2 tbsp sugar, then bring to a simmer. Gently cook for about 5 mins until the apricots are tender, but not pulpy. Remove from the heat, stir in the raspberries, then leave to cool.
• Turn the jellies out onto 4 plates, then spoon compote around the edge.

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.

FRESH APRICOT COMPOTE

Steps:

• Stir together the apricots, lemon zest, sugar, water, and vanilla extract in a saucepan until the sugar has dissolved. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low, and simmer gently until the apricots are soft and the compote has thickened, 40 to 50 minutes. Chill in refrigerator before serving.

GINGERED POACHED APRICOT AND RASPBERRY COMPOTE

Steps:

• In a small saucepan stir together the sugar, the water, the lemon juice, and the ginger root and simmer the mixture, covered, for 5 minutes. Add the apricots, baste them with the syrup, and poach them, covered, over moderately low heat for 3 minutes, or until they are just tender. Stir in the raspberries gently, poach the mixture for 1 minute, and divide it between 2 bowls. Sprinkle the compote with the almonds, garnish it with the mint, and serve it warm or at room temperature.

RASPBERRY-APRICOT COMPOTE WITH CHAMPAGNE AND LEMON VERBENA

Steps:

• Stir first 3 ingredients in medium bowl until sugar dissolves. Fold in berries and apricots. Let stand up to 1 hour.

APRICOT JELLIES

Steps:

• Place apricots and water in a 2 1/2-quart souffle dish with a tight lid. Cook, covered, at 100 percent power in a high-power microwave oven for 12 minutes, stirring once.
• Remove from oven. Transfer apricots and liquid to a food processor. Process until smooth, stopping once to scrape sides of bowl. Add 3 cups of the sugar in two batches; process until smooth after each addition, stopping to scrape sides and stir sugar down into the puree.
• Scrape mixture back into souffle dish. Cook, uncovered, for 30 minutes, stirring well three times.
• Remove from oven. Oil a 10 1/2-by-15 1/2-inch jellyroll pan. Scrape mixture into pan and smooth with a spatula. Refrigerate until firm enough to cut, 3 hours or overnight.
• Place remaining sugar in a small bowl. Rinse a knife with hot water. Cut candy into 3/4-inch squares, rinsing the knife from time to time as you lift squares from pan. Coat each square on all sides in the sugar. As they are coated, place on a cake rack. Let stand overnight, until dry.