Apricot Butter Recipes

Steps:

• 1. Wash, peel, pit fruit. Puree in small batches using blender or food processor. Pour pureed apricots into crock pot as you work. Add sugar to fruit. Add spices and lemon juice. Mix well. Cover and cook on High for 8 to 10 hours. Remove cover about half way through cooking. Stir occasionally. Store in refrigerator, can, or freeze.
• 2. IF CANNING: Fill hot, sterilized jars to 1/4 inch headspace; remove air bubbles, wipe rims, affix lids and process for 10 minutes in a boiling water bath. IF FREEZING: Pour into sterilized cans or boxes, leaving 1/4-inch headspace and freeze. TO USE: Use in any recipe that calls for apple butter. Great on warm biscuits, fresh home made bread, and breakfast toast!

Steps:

• Combine the butter, apricot preserves, and salt in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Serve at room temperature.

Steps:

• Simmer apricots, water, and 1/4 cup granulated sugar in a small saucepan, stirring until sugar is dissolved and liquid is reduced by about half, 12 to 15 minutes. Remove from heat and add rum, then cool slightly. Purée in a food processor or blender until smooth (use caution when blending hot liquids).
• Whisk together flour, baking powder, and a pinch of salt in a small bowl. Beat together butter, brown sugar, and remaining 1/2 cup granulated sugar in a large bowl with an electric mixer at moderate speed until pale and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Beat in vanilla and egg. Add flour mixture and mix at low speed until just combined. Form dough into a log and chill, wrapped in plastic wrap, until firm, about 1 hour.
• Preheat oven to 350°F.
• Divide dough into 8 pieces. Put 1 piece of dough on a sheet of plastic wrap, then fold plastic wrap over dough. Form piece into an 8-inch rope (dough will be very soft). Transfer in plastic wrap to 1 of 2 ungreased baking sheets, then remove plastic wrap. Pat rope into an 8- by 1 1/2-inch rectangle. Make more ropes and pat into rectangles in same manner, arranging them about 2 inches apart. Make a shallow trough lengthwise down center of each rectangle with your finger and spread apricot pureé in trough. Bake in batches in middle of oven until edges are golden, 18 to 20 minutes, then transfer to a rack to cool completely.
• Whisk together confectioners sugar, lemon juice, and enough water (about 2 1/2 teaspoons) to make a thick but pourable icing. Drizzle icing over rectangles and cut diagonally into 1-inch-thick strips. Let stand until icing is set, about 15 minutes.
• Cooks' note:
• • Cookies keep, layered between sheets of wax or parchment paper, in an airtight container at room temperature 1 week.

Steps:

• Heat oven to 160C/140C fan/gas 3. Butter a 23cm-deep cake tin (preferably not loose-based, see tip below) and line the base with silicone or baking parchment. Mix the topping ingredients and spread over the base of the tin.
• Mix the milk and vanilla together. Put the sugar and eggs into a large bowl and whisk with a tabletop or hand electric mixer until the mixture is thick, pale and increased in volume, about 5 mins. Test it is ready by lifting the whisk blades - if the mixture briefly leaves a trail, you are ready to proceed.
• Add one-third of the flour and whisk slowly to incorporate, then one-third of the milk and mix again. Repeat twice more until all the flour and milk is added. Slowly whisk in the melted butter.
• Halve and stone the apricots. Place, cut-side down, in the base of the tin. Pour the cake batter over the top and slide into the oven. Bake for 1-1¼ hrs until the cake is firm to the touch and springs back when lightly pressed.
• Cool the cake in the tin for 20 mins, then carefully remove from the tin, peel off the lining paper and serve warm or cold.

Steps:

• Drain fruit.
• Remove pits& puree in blender.
• Pour into a slow cooker.
• Stir in remaining ingredients.
• Cover.
• Cook on High 8-10 hours.
• Remove cover during last half of cooking.
• Stir occasionally.

Steps:

• Heat oven to 160C/140C fan/gas 3. Grease a deep 20cm round cake tin with a little bit of the butter, then line with greaseproof paper or baking parchment. Wrap a couple of sheets of newspaper around the outside of the tin, then secure with string.
• In a food processor, whizz the almonds with the flour until the mix resembles crumbs. Beat the butter and icing sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs, one by one, then fold in the flour and almonds, dried fruit and brandy. Scrape into the tin, level the surface and bake for 1 hr 15 mins, until a skewer poked in comes out clean. Cool in the tin.
• When the cake is completely cold, make the icing quickly by beating the butter, jam and icing sugar until pale. Don't allow the butter to get too warm or overbeat as the icing might split. Swirl all over the cake, then leave in a cool place to set (but not the fridge).