Apricot Almond Spirals Recipes

APRICOT-GLAZED BACON SPIRALS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375°. In a small skillet, heat butter over medium heat. Add onion; cook and stir until tender, 3-5 minutes. Reduce heat to low; add preserves. Cook and stir until melted., Unroll crescent dough into one long rectangle. Roll into a 15x9-in. rectangle, sealing seams and perforations. Cut crosswise into fifteen 1-in. strips; top each with one piece of bacon. Roll up jelly-roll style, starting with a short side; pinch seam to seal. Place on an ungreased baking sheet, cut side down., Spoon apricot mixture over each spiral. Bake until golden brown, 12-15 minutes. Let stand 5 minutes before serving. Refrigerate leftovers.

APRICOT-ALMOND RUGELACH

Steps:

• Dough: In a food processor, pulse flour, sugar, salt, and butter until butter breaks into pea-size pieces. Add cream cheese and process just until incorporated and a mass of dough is formed. Do not overmix or dough will be tough.
• Turn dough out onto a work surface and knead a couple times to bring dough into a cohesive mass. Divide dough in half and form two flat, round discs; wrap each in plastic and refrigerate for 45 minutes. (At this point, dough can be frozen for several months.)
• Filling: Lightly flour a work surface and a rolling pin, then roll one disc of dough into a 16-inch round (add more flour to prevent sticking). Evenly spread half the jam in a thin layer, stopping 1 inch from the edge of the dough. Sprinkle half the sugar over the top, followed by half the almonds.
• Assembly: Trim the outer edge of the dough to make a clean circle all around. Cut dough like a pizza into 12 triangles. Beginning at the wide end, roll up each triangle; place formed rugelach on parchment-lined sheet trays, pointed edge down. Repeat with remaining disc of dough. Freeze for 30 minutes. Preheat oven to 350 F.
• Bake rugelach until golden, 25-35 minutes. Remove to a wire rack, let cool, and serve.

APRICOT ALMOND TORTE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°. In a large bowl, beat eggs, sugar and vanilla on high speed until thick and lemon-colored. Combine flour, almonds, baking powder and salt; gradually fold into egg mixture alternately with the whipped cream., Transfer to two greased and floured 9-in. round baking pans. Bake 22-28 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes before removing from pans to wire racks to cool completely., In a large bowl, beat cream cheese, sugar and salt until smooth. Beat in extract. Fold in whipped cream., Cut each cake horizontally into two layers. Place bottom layer on a serving plate; spread with 1 cup frosting. Top with another cake layer; spread with half the preserves. Repeat layers. Frost sides of cake; decorate the top edge with remaining frosting. Sprinkle with almonds.

BACON-WRAPPED APRICOT BITES

Steps:

• Cut bacon strips widthwise into thirds. In a large skillet, cook bacon over medium heat until partially cooked but not crisp. Remove to paper towels to drain. , Wrap a bacon piece around each apricot; secure with a toothpick. Place in an ungreased 15x10x1-in. baking pan., Bake at 350° until bacon is crisp, 18-22 minutes. Meanwhile, in a small bowl, combine the barbecue sauce, honey and mustard. Serve with warm apricot bites.

BACON-WRAPPED DRIED APRICOTS

Steps:

• Gently separate the two sides of each apricot and stuff with the almonds. Wrap each with a segment of the bacon. Arrange in a small nonstick skillet seam-side down. Cook on medium heat until the undersides are well-browned and crisp, 6 to 7 minutes.
• Turn the apricots over and continue to cook until browned on the bottom, 2 to 3 minutes more. Add the maple syrup, vinegar and a few grinds of pepper and cook, shaking the skillet to coat, until the liquid has reduced and the apricots are glossy and browned all over, about 1 minute more. Transfer to a small plate and sprinkle with the chives. Serve warm or at room temperature.

ALMOND-APRICOT CHICKEN SALAD

Steps:

• Cook pasta according to package directions, adding apricots during the last 4 minutes. Drain and rinse with cold water; place in a large bowl. Add broccoli, chicken, onions and celery. , In a small bowl, combine the next eight ingredients. Pour over salad and toss to coat. Cover and chill until serving; fold in almonds.