Apricot Pistachio Pavlova Recipes

APRICOT TART WITH PISTACHIO FRANGIPANE

Steps:

• Start with the pastry shell: Heat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit/190 degrees Celsius. Prepare a 9-inch/23-centimeter nonstick tart pan with a removable base by lining the bottom with parchment and greasing the sides with butter. If needed, on a lightly floured surface, roll out the dough to a circle roughly 1/8- to 1/4-inch/3- to 5-millimeters thick and large enough to line the base and sides of the tin, plus extra to poke above the edge by about 1/2 inch/1 centimeter. (Some store-bought doughs may be the perfect size right out of the package.) Carefully line the pan with the pastry and press it down so it covers the base and sides, with excess overhang.
• Cover the pastry with parchment paper or waxed paper and fill with dried beans or pie weights. Place pan on a baking sheet and bake for 20 minutes, then remove the paper with the beans. Prick the pastry base and sides with a fork about 15 times, then bake for another 10 to 15 minutes, or until golden brown. Set aside to cool.
• Poach the apricots: Add Sauternes, lime half, vanilla, sugar and 3 tablespoons/40 milliliters water to a saucepan that is just big enough to hold the apricot halves in one layer. Place the pan over high heat and cook until the sugar has melted and the liquid boils.
• Remove the pan from the heat and place the apricots in the hot liquid, cut-sides down. Leave them to poach in the residual heat until they are soft but still hold their shape (20 to 40 minutes, depending on how ripe they are) flipping them every 10 minutes. Transfer the apricots to a covered container and refrigerate until needed. Squeeze the lime into the syrup and then discard it; return the saucepan with the syrup to medium-high heat and simmer until reduced to 2 tablespoons, 5 to 8 minutes. Set aside at room temperature until needed.
• Next, make the frangipane: Set aside 2 tablespoons of pistachios for serving. In a food processor, blitz the remaining pistachios until coarsely ground. Add the marzipan and blitz to a coarse crumb. Add all the remaining frangipane ingredients and blitz for 30 seconds, until everything just comes together.
• Once the tart shell has cooled completely, spoon the frangipane back in and spread it flat with the back of a spoon. Cut 3 1/2 ounces/100 grams of the apricot halves (3 or 4 of them) into quarters (or sixths if larger) and arrange evenly over the frangipane, pushing them down gently. Bake tart for 20 to 25 minutes, until golden brown and just set. Set aside until cool enough to handle. Remove the tart from the tin and set on a wire rack to cool completely. If making the recipe over two days, wrap the pastry in plastic wrap (cling film) once it has cooled completely.
• While the frangipane is baking (or the next day), make the crème pâtissière: In a medium bowl, whisk 2 tablespoons sugar with the cornstarch (cornflour), flour and yolks until smooth. Add milk, butter, vanilla and the remaining 2 tablespoons sugar to a saucepan over medium-high heat and cook until warm but not boiling. Remove the milk from the heat. While whisking, pour a third of the warm milk into the egg mix, and whisk well. Pour the mixture back into the pan with the rest of the milk and return to medium-low heat. Continue cooking, whisking vigorously, until mixture bubbles and becomes very thick. Remove pan from heat and leave to cool for 5 minutes, then spoon on top of the cooled frangipane, smoothing with the back of a spoon. Cover surface with plastic wrap (cling film) and refrigerate for 2 hours until completely set.
• Just before serving, cut the remaining apricot halves into quarters (or sixths if larger). Arrange the apricots evenly in circles over the crème pâtissière, cut-side up, leaving a 2-inch/5-centimeter gap between each apricot (push them into the crème slightly as you go). Drizzle 1 tablespoon of the reduced poaching syrup evenly over the tart, then drizzle the orange blossom water over the tart. Roughly chop the reserved pistachios and mix with 1 teaspoon sugar. Sprinkle the pistachio mix in the gaps between the apricots to cover the crème pâtissière and serve at once with the remaining syrup drizzled over each piece once sliced.

APRICOT TART WITH PISTACHIOS

Steps:

• Heat oven to 375 degrees. Lay 1 sheet phyllo on a parchment-lined 12-by-18-inch rimmed baking sheet. Drizzle with 1 tablespoon butter and brush to coat the entire phyllo sheet.
• Top with another sheet and butter as above. Repeat with 7 more sheets, for a total of 9, buttering as you go. The final, top layer should also be buttered. (The rest of the phyllo can be wrapped and frozen for future use.)
• Dot the top sheet with jam by the teaspoon, then, using a spatula, spread the jam to cover the entire sheet, leaving a 2-inch border.
• Sprinkle a layer of half the chopped pistachios over the jam. Place the apricot wedges, skin-side down, in even rows across the surface, then sprinkle again with remaining pistachios.
• Carefully fold over the edges on all sides of the tart to make a 10-by-16-inch rectangle. Brush folded sides with butter. Sprinkle sugar generously over apricots and folded edges.
• Bake until pastry is golden and apricots begin to color, about 1 hour. Cool for 15 minutes, then cut into squares. Serve warm or at room temperature.

ORANGE, CRANBERRY & PISTACHIO PAVLOVA

Steps:

• Heat the oven to 140C/120C fan/gas 2 and line a large baking tray with baking parchment. Drain the chickpeas over a jug, reserving the liquid (this liquid, called aquafaba, will be used to make the meringue). Tip the chickpeas into a sealed container and chill for use in another recipe. Pour the liquid into a large bowl or stand mixer. Add the cream of tartar, then beat with the whisk attachment or an electric whisk for 15-18 mins until the mixture has tripled in size and is holding stiff peaks (it will take a while for it to thicken initially, so just keep beating until this happens). Add the caster sugar 1 tbsp at a time, whisking well between each addition until all the sugar has been incorporated and you are left with a fluffy meringue.
• Use a little of the meringue to stick the baking parchment to the tray, then spoon the meringue into the centre of the parchment and spread into a roughly 15cm round pavlova, making the sides slightly higher than the middle (it will deflate and spread a little more in the oven). Bake on the bottom shelf of the oven for 2 hrs. The meringue will still feel slightly soft once cooked, but as it cools it will set and be able to come away from the parchment easily. Leave to cool completely. The meringue can be cooked up to two days in advance. Once it has cooled completely, wrap well or keep in an airtight container.
• Cut the pith from the oranges using a serrated knife, then slice into rounds. Dust the oranges with the icing sugar and cinnamon. Place the pavlova on a serving plate, spoon the coconut yogurt into the middle, then top with the cinnamon oranges, cranberries and pistachios.

APRICOT & PISTACHIO PAVLOVA

Steps:

• Preheat oven to fan 120C / conventional 140C / gas 1.
• Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and draw a circle (diameter = 23cm).
• Brush circle with a thin film of oil.
• In a small bowl, blend the cornflour, vanilla extract and vinegar to a smooth paste.
• In a separate clean bowl, whisk the egg whites until stiff (you may add a pinch of salt to speed the process up).
• Gradually whisk in the sugar a little at a time.
• Then whisk in the cornflour paste until well combined.
• Spoon the mixture onto the parchment paper, then spread it onto the drawn circle.
• Swirl the edges with the back of the spoon to give lovely soft folds and peaks.
• Scatter half the pistachios over the meringue and bake for 1 hour, by which time it will feel crisp if you tap it.
• Turn off the oven, but leave the Pavlova inside to cool, with the oven door open.
• Set aside 450g (1lb) of the apricots and roughly chop the rest, discarding stones.
• Purée the chopped apricots, then push them through a sieve with a metal spoon.
• Stir in the liqueur and sweeten with 3tbsp icing sugar, or enough to sweeten as you like it.
• Lightly whip the cream so it's soft and billowy, then spoon over the the pavlova. Cut the reserved 450g (1lb) apricots in half, discard stones, then cut into wedges.
• Scatter over the whipped cream along with the remaining pistachios. Dust with remaining icing sugar and serve with the apricot purée.

PAVLOVA

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 225°F Beat egg white and cream of tarter until soft peaks form (about 5 minutes). Gradually add the sugar one tablespoon at a time, until stiff peaks form. Spread this out in a 10 inch circle on a baking sheet covered in parchment paper. Bake for 1 ½ hours. Cool.
• Whip cream and sugar. Spread into meringue shell and top with fresh fruits of your choice. We like grapes, strawberries and kiwi. You can sprinkle with powdered sugar if you like.
• Another filling option is to use one package of sugar free/fat free vanilla pudding, mix with 1 cup cold milk and than add 1 cup cool whip. Refrigerate for about 15 minutes, than spoon into shell and top with raspberries. You can sprinkle with powdered sugar if you like.