Petite Apricot Pastries Recipes

FRENCH APRICOT PASTRY RECIPE

Steps:

• The day before, make the pastry cream.
• In a medium sauce pan add the milk, sugar, and vanilla bean paste and pod. Bring to a simmer and the vanilla seeds rise to the top. Fish out the vanilla bean pod with tongs, and allow the milk mixture to cool slightly.
• In a large mixing bowl add egg yolks and cornstarch. Whisk together until a pale-yellow paste forms. Slowly add the milk mixture to the paste mixture, whisking until combined.
• Strain mixture through a fine mesh sieve into a cleaned-out sauce pot. Heat mixture on medium high heat, whisking all the while until thickened. Soon after a pastry cream will begin to form. Whisk until it reaches pudding-like consistency. Whisk in butter.
• Transfer pastry cream to a shallow bowl and cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight or until completely cooled.
• Drain apricots of their syrup and place on a plate. Place 1 puff pastry square on a floured surface, rotating it to a diamond shape facing you. Spread 2 tablespoons of pastry cream in the center of the diamond. Spread out to about 3 inches long. Place apricots, cut side down at the edge of the pastry cream.
• Brush the perimeter of the pastry with egg wash. Then take the two-outer points of the diamond, at the sides and bring them towards the center, folding one over the other and brushing seal with the egg wash to affix it together. Brush the outer pastry area with egg wash as well.
• At this point, pastry cream should not be visible when you fold this up, only apricots should be visible.
• Gently place a floured metal spatula under the pastry and transfer to a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
• Continue the process until 6 pastries are formed. Place the tray in the fridge, tented lightly with foil until ready to bake.
• To bake place pastries into a pre-heated 400F (200C) oven for 20-25 mins or until golden brown and puffed up. Allow to cool slightly.
• Meanwhile place the apricot jam in a sauce pan to melt the jam and liquefy. Brush the jam on the pastries and apricots to create a shiny surface. Transfer to a platter and serve immediately.

APRICOT PETITS FOURS

Steps:

• Heat oven to 350°F (325°F for dark or nonstick pan). Spray bottom and sides of 15x10x1-inch pan with baking spray with flour.
• In large bowl, beat all cake ingredients except liqueur with electric mixer on low speed 30 seconds, then on medium speed 2 minutes, scraping bowl occasionally. Pour batter into pan.
• Bake 22 to 28 minutes or until cake springs back when touched lightly in center. Brush liqueur over top of cake. Cool completely, about 20 minutes. To avoid cake crumbs when adding icing, freeze cake 1 hour before cutting.
• In large bowl, beat icing ingredients on low speed until powdered sugar is moistened. Beat on high speed until smooth. If necessary, add 2 to 3 teaspoons more apricot nectar until icing is pourable.
• Place cooling rack on cookie sheet or waxed paper to catch icing drips. Cut cake into 9 rows by 6 rows. Working with 6 pieces at a time, remove cake pieces from pan and place on cooling rack. Spoon icing evenly over top and sides of cake pieces, letting icing coat sides. (Icing that drips off can be reused.) Let stand until icing is set, about 2 hours.
• Decorate with almonds and orange peel as desired. Store in single layer in airtight plastic container.

APRICOT DESSERT

Steps:

• Pour the apricot nectar into a saucepan and bring to a boil. Remove from heat and stir in gelatin mix until completely dissolved. Whisk in sour cream until smooth or process in a blender. Pour into a serving bowl, and stir in the apricots. Chill until set, about 3 hours. Top with whipped topping just before serving.

APRICOT PASTRIES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°.
• For Apricots: Cook apricots in water till tender, then cool. Set aside. *Note: Apricots will soak up all of the 2 cups of water, there should be no water left. If apricots are still not tender when the water has been absorbed, add more water by the tablespoon full. Do not over water. *Note Apricots from a box may be tart, add small amount of sugar to sweeten. For best results use dried apricots found in the produce section usually in celophane bags.
• For Pastry Crust: Sift together flour, sugar and salt.
• Cut in shortening with pastry cutter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs.
• Scald milk and let it cool till it is just warm.
• Add yeast to milk and let soften.
• Add egg and vanilla to milk mixture.
• Add milk mixture to the flour mixture.
• Mix well.
• Divide dough into four parts.
• Form each part of dough into a square.
• On a surface well dusted with the powdered sugar/flour mixture, roll one part of the dough at a time to make 4 ten inch squares.
• Cut each square into sixteen 2½-inch squares.
• Forming the Pastries: Place heaping teaspoons of apricots in center of each individual square.
• Pinch two opposite corners together.
• Place two inches apart on greased cookie sheet.
• Let stand ten minutes. *Note: Most yeast recipes require the dough to be left to rise. This 10 minutes to stand after forming the pastry is the only rising this recipe requires.
• Bake at 350° for ten to twelve minutes.
• Remove at once from pan to cool on rack.
• Sprinkle with powdered sugar.

ITALIAN BUTTER COOKIES

Steps:

• Whip the butter and sugar in a stand mixer with a whisk attachment, or in a bowl with an electric mixer, for at least 5 minutes until the mixture is light and fluffy.
• Add one egg at a time into the mixture, and whisk until is fully absorbed before adding the other one, then whisk in the yolk, followed by the vanilla. Whisk for 2 minutes, until your mixture is light and fluffy.
• Add the sifted flour and give and mix until fully incorporated. Your cookie dough should be sticky, soft but hold its shape.
• Transfer the mixture into a piping bag fitted with a large open star nozzle and pipe the cookies in various shapes directly on a baking tray covered with parchment paper.
• You can make S-shaped cookies, logs, flowers, horseshoe cookies, or rounded cookies. You can also make a little well in the center of the round cookies and add a candied cherry, a whole almond or 1/4 teaspoon of apricot jam.
• Transfer the baking tray to the fridge and let the cookies refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.
• Preheat the oven to180° C / 360° F and arrange the baking tray onto the middle shelf. Bake the cookies for 10-12 minutes. The cookies are ready when the edges are slightly golden. Remove them from the oven and transfer them on a cooling rack. Allow them to cool completely before serving.