Apricot Fig Trifle With Caramel Sauce Recipes

APRICOT TRIFLE (APRICOT DESSERT)

Steps:

• Canned apricots: If using them, don't cook them; they are already soft. Drain the can and reserve the juice. Slice the apricots and set them aside.
• Drain: Pour the juice from the can into a measuring jug. If you don't have the required ½ cup liquid (125 ml), add some water to get there. Add just a little sugar; if you find it necessary, I don't. Use less sugar than you would use when making the sauce with fresh apricots, as the syrup from the can is already sweet.
• Cook: Pour the juice into a small pan, bring it to a boil and let simmer for 3 minutes.
• Thicken: Whisk the cornstarch with 2-3 teaspoons cold water in a small bowl; you should obtain a thick yet pourable paste. Slowly whisk the cornstarch into the apricot juice and let bubble once or twice until slightly thickened. Add the sliced apricots and stir. Let cool.
• Halve the apricots and cut each half into 2 or 3 slices.
• Cook: Place the sugar, water, and apricots in a small saucepan and bring to a boil. Cook for 3 minutes.
• Thicken: Whisk the cornstarch with 2-3 teaspoons cold water in a small bowl, you should obtain a thick yet pourable paste. Slowly whisk the cornstarch into the apricot juice and let bubble once or twice until slightly thickened. Let cool.
• Tip: You can use another fruit sauce or you could thicken any fruit compote and use that instead.
• Crumble the cake with your hands.
• Toast crumbles: Melt the butter in a large pan, add the cake crumbles to the pan, sprinkle with the sugar and toast, often stirring, for 8-10 minutes, until they are fragrant and not so soft anymore. Let cool.
• Layer trifle: Butter a small serving dish or casserole dish. Start layering the cake crumbles and the apricot sauce, finishing with a layer of crumbles.The apricot layer should be more or less as thick as the crumble layer. In the end, I had 3 crumble layers and two apricot sauce layers. If you have more ingredients, use a larger dish or make more layers.
• Chill the dessert for a few hours.
• Whip the heavy cream (no sugar necessary) and garnish the dessert with whipped cream and fresh mint or lemon balm just before serving.

APRICOT CARAMEL SAUCE

Steps:

• In a dry heavy saucepan (about 3-quart capacity) cook sugar over moderate heat, stirring with a fork until melted and then swirling pan, until sugar is a golden caramel. Remove pan from heat and carefully add 3 cups water down side of pan (it will bubble up and steam). Return pan to heat and simmer, stirring, until caramel is dissolved.
• Add apricots and simmer, covered, until soft, about 10 minutes. Cool mixture 10 minutes and in a blender purée with remaining 1 cup water and vanilla until very smooth. Sauce may be made 3 days ahead and chilled, covered. Reheat sauce to warm.

AUTUMN TRIFLE WITH ROASTED APPLES, PEARS, AND PUMPKIN-CARAMEL SAUCE

Steps:

• For cinnamon pastry cream:
• Whisk yolks and 1/2 cup milk in large bowl. Add sugar, flour, vanilla, and cinnamon. Whisk until sugar dissolves. Bring 1 1/2 cups milk to simmer in heavy medium saucepan over medium heat. Gradually whisk milk into yolk mixture. Return mixture to same saucepan. Cook until custard thickens and boils, stirring constantly, about 2 minutes. Transfer to medium bowl. Add butter and stir until melted. Press plastic wrap directly onto surface. Chill until cold, about 2 hours. (Can be made 2 days ahead. Keep chilled.)
• For pumpkin-caramel sauce:
• Melt butter in heavy small saucepan over medium heat. Add sugar and cook until mixture is deep amber, stirring constantly, about 8 minutes (mixture will be grainy). Reduce heat to medium-low. Add cream (mixture will bubble). Stir until caramel bits dissolve, about 2 minutes. Add pumpkin; stir until heated. Refrigerate until cold, about 2 hours. (Can be made 2 days ahead. Cover and keep refrigerated.)
• For roasted fruit:
• Preheat oven to 400°F. Mix apples, pears, and lemon juice in large bowl. Place butter on rimmed baking sheet. Heat in oven until butter melts and begins to brown, about 5 minutes. Add fruit to baking sheet and toss with butter. Roast until fruit is soft and golden, turning with metal spatula every 15 minutes, about 1 hour. Cool fruit on sheet.
• For assembly:
• Place ladyfingers, flat side up, on baking sheet. Brush with Sherry. Line bottom of 2- or 3-quart glass trifle dish with single layer of ladyfingers, Sherry side up. Line bottom edge with 1 row of ladyfingers, Sherry side in, pressing gently against dish. Spoon half of pastry cream into lined dish; smooth top. Cover with half of fruit. Drizzle 1/2 cup caramel sauce over. Line edge of dish with second row of ladyfingers, Sherry side in. Cover fruit with single layer of ladyfingers. Spoon remaining pastry cream over. Cover with remaining fruit. Drizzle fruit with 1/2 cup caramel sauce. Line edge of dish with third row of ladyfingers, Sherry side in. Chill at least 6 hours. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Keep chilled.)
• Whip cream, sugar, and vanilla in bowl until mixture holds peaks. Fill pastry bag fitted with large rosette tip with whipped cream and pipe over trifle (or spoon whipped cream over). (Can be prepared 3 hours ahead; chill.) Drizzle whipped cream with 2 tablespoons caramel sauce. Brush pear slices with lemon juice; arrange decoratively atop whipped cream. Serve, passing remaining caramel sauce separately.

APRICOT-FIG TRIFLE WITH CARAMEL SAUCE

Steps:

• To make the pudding, combine the cornstarch, sugar and salt in a medium saucepan and slowly stir in just enough milk to make a thick paste. Gradually stir in the remaining milk. Cook over medium-low heat, stirring constantly, until thick, about 20 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in the vanilla and butter. Pour into a bowl, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until cold.
• Place the apricots and figs in a small bowl and cover with boiling water. Let stand for 20 minutes; drain.
• Meanwhile, to make the caramel sauce, combine the sugar and water in a medium saucepan. Use a pastry brush dipped in water to wash down any sugar crystals on the side of the pan. Cook over medium-low heat, without stirring, until the sugar is melted and turns a light amber color. Remove the caramel from the heat and carefully stir in the cream. Return to the heat and stir until the caramel is dissolved.
• To assemble, place 4 slices of pound cake in the bottom of an 8-inch square glass baking dish. Brush the cake with 1 tablespoon of rum and drizzle with 1/3 of the sauce. Scatter half of the fruit over the cake. Spread with half of the pudding. Make another layer with the remaining cake, rum, 1/3 of the sauce and the remaining fruit and pudding.
• Drizzle the remaining caramel sauce over the top and refrigerate until cold, at least 3 hours. Cut the trifle into 8 squares and serve.