Apricot Tea Cakes Recipes

APRICOT TEA COOKIES

Steps:

• In a large bowl, combine the flour, sugar and salt. Cut in cream cheese and butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Add sour cream, tossing with a fork until dough forms a ball. Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour. , Meanwhile, in a large saucepan, combine the filling ingredients; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 10 minutes. Uncover; simmer 7-9 minutes longer or until most of the liquid is absorbed, stirring occasionally. Cool., Divide dough in half. On a well-floured surface, roll out each portion into a 10-in. square; cut each into 2-in. squares. Place about 1/2 teaspoon of filling in the center of each square. Bring two opposite corners of square to the center; pinch firmly to seal. , Place on greased baking sheets. Bake at 325° for 18-20 minutes or until edges are lightly browned. Remove to wire racks to cool. Combine the glaze ingredients; drizzle over cooled cookies.

APRICOT TEA CAKES

Steps:

• Heat oven to 375 degrees. Line a baking pan with parchment. Butter and flour twelve 3-by-1 1/2-inch cake rings; set on parchment. Place cornmeal in a large mixing bowl; set aside.
• In a small saucepan, combine milk, sugar, salt, and orange zest. Set over medium-high heat, and bring to a boil, stirring.
• Slowly pour the hot milk mixture over the cornmeal, incorporating with a fork. Cover with plastic wrap, and set aside in a warm place 30 minutes. Add the orange juice.
• Place the apricot halves on paper towels, and let drain. One at a time, add the egg yolks to the cornmeal mixture, stirring after each addition. Stir in the olive oil.
• In a medium bowl, beat egg whites until stiff and shiny. Fold into cornmeal mixture.
• Center one apricot half, cut-side up, in each cake ring. Pour 1/2 cup batter into each ring. Bake 5 minutes, and remove from oven. Reduce heat to 325 degrees. Place another apricot half, cut-side up, in each ring, and place an almond in the center of each apricot. Return to oven, and bake until tops are golden brown, about 25 minutes.
• Transfer baking sheet to a wire rack; let cool 5 minutes. Remove rings, and cool completely. Drizzle cakes with honey; serve.

APRICOT SANDWICH TEA CAKES

Steps:

• Combine the flour and baking soda in a food processor.
• Sprinkle the butter chunks inches.
• Pulse until the consistency of fine crumbs.
• Turn out the mixture into a large bowl.
• In a medium bowl, beat the egg yolks with the brandy (orange juice or schnapps) vanilla, almond extract, lemon and orange zests and salt until well blended Stir then knead the egg yolk mixture into the flour mixture until evenly incorporated.
• If the dough seems dry, add up to 2 tbs of water a little at a time until evenly incorporated.
• Divide the dough in half.
• Place each portion between large sheets of wax paper.
• Roll out each portion 1/8" thick, check the underside of the dough and smooth out any wrinkles that form.
• Stack the rolled portions (paper still attached) on a baking sheet.
• Freeze for 15 minutes or until chilled and slightly firm.
• Preheat the oven to 350°F.
• Grease several cookie sheets or coat with nonstick spray.
• Working with 1 portion at a time and leaving the remaining dough in the freezer, gently peel away then pat one sheet of wax paper back into place.
• Flip the dough over and peel off the other sheet, throw this away.
• Using a 2-1/4" cookie cutter, cut out the cookies.
• Using a mini cutter, cut out the center piece of half of the cookies.
• Using a spatula, transfer the cookies to a baking sheet and freeze until firm again.
• Reroll the scraps, using up the dough until it's gone.
• Bake the cookies, 1 sheet at a time, in the upper rack of the oven for 8-12 minutes or until just slightly colored on the tops and started to darken at the edges.
• The cookies with the cutouts will cook faster than the ones without, so watch so those don't start to burn.
• Transfer the cookie sheet to a wire rack and et the cookies firm up for 1-2 minutes, then transfer the cookies to the wire racks, let stand until cooled Once cooled, spread about 1 tsp of the preserves or jam on the underside of each cookie bottom.
• Center the tops over the bottoms.
• Very lightly press them together until the jam shows through the cutout.
• Store in an airtight container for up to 1 week.
• Freeze for up to 2 months, but do not fill until just before serving if you plan to freeze them.

APRICOT CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Use a little of the butter to grease a 9-inch round baking pan with a removable bottom. Dust the pan with a little of the flour. Sift the remaining flour with the baking powder and salt and set aside.
• Cream the remaining butter with the brown sugar. Beat in the eggs, one at a time. Stir in the flour mixture and the vanilla.
• Spread the batter in the baking pan. Arrange the apricot slices on the top. Put in the oven and bake about 25 minutes, until the top of the cake looks fairly firm and is just beginning to brown.
• Sprinkle with the granulated sugar, return to the oven and bake another 10 to 15 minutes, until the cake is nicely browned. Remove from the oven, allow to cool 10 minutes, then remove the sides of the pan. Serve the cake while it is still warm, with creme fraiche, whipped cream or vanilla frozen yogurt on the side.