Years ago I mentioned an old apricot recipe that I liked but lost.

M

marilynfl

Moderator
A few weeks ago I stopped at a Pittsburgh library and when leaving, picked up a free December 1995 Gourmet magazine. Since I read recipes like novels, I was reading it in bed and noticed that an apricot recipe in Sugar and Spice sounded familiar. When I got to the line where she mentioned her son ate them all and that you had to use unsulfured apricots rather than sulfured, I KNEW I had found my long lost recipe.

Kismet!

I haven't made it since getting home, but am hoping the taste is as good as remembered. Going to post it here so it's safe.

However I am a bit worried about the latest apricots I bought from Trader Joes. They were Blenheim apricots and yet were disappointingly bitter. In no way did they match the Blenheim apricots that Maria sent me a few years back.

https://finerkitchens.com/swap/forum/index.php?action=display&forumid=1&msgid=248059

 
Apricot Diamonds Harris (from 1995 Gourmet) uses unsulfured apricots

For apricot puree
8 ounces unsulfured dried apricots
1 Cup water
1 Cup sugar
1 TBL fresh lemon juice
1 TBL bourbon (if desired)
2 tsp vanilla
1 TBL fresh lemon zest

For cookie crust
1 1/4 C flour
1/2 C cold, unsalted butter, cut into 8 pieces
3 TBL confectioners sugar
1/4 tsp salt
3 TBL cold water

For topping:
1/3 C (2 oz) blanched whole almonds, toasted and chopped coarse
1/4 C flour
2.5 TBL firmly packed light brown sugar
1/8 tsp ground ginger
1/8 tsp fresh ground nutmeg
pinch of cloves
1/2 tsp vanilla
2 TBL butter

Puree:
Cook apricots, water and sugar for 20 minutes. Cool 10 minutes and add remaining ingredients (except zest). Puree in food processor until smooth, add zest and pulse to blend. May be made 2 days in advance. Refrigerate. Bring to room temperature to use.

Preheat oven to 350. Butter and flour 9" square pan.

Make cookie crust:
In clean food processor, pulse all ingredients EXCEPT water until it resembles coarse meal. Add water and pulse just until mixture forms crumbly dough. Flour hands and press dough into pan. Bake 15 minutes or until pale golden. Cool on rack for 10 minutes.

Spread apricot puree on crust.

Make topping:

In clean food processor, pulse all ingredients just until crumbly. Spread over apricot puree and press down gently.

Bake 25 minutes or until top is crispy and golden.

Cool completely and dust with confectioners sugar.
Cut into 1.5" diamond-shaped cookies

Keeps in air-tight container for 5 days.

Makes 30 cookies.

Judith Harris,
San Mateo, CA

Gourmet Magazine, December 1995.

 
I remember something like this. I am allergic to sulfur so buy the unsulfered from Costco. I

thought they were okay. Of course, not pretty but neither is the effect of sulphur (CDN) on me. The fresh ones of the last 50 years don't taste like apricots so looking pretty is no problem.

I use them in Moroccan preparations.

I can picture this from the olden days and I suspect that you will try it first, so just send me a sample. Then, I will try it.

Honestly, I wish I had more energy these days but even making dinner is a challenge.

 
Memories are more delicious than reality.

Not too long ago I got down half of a White Castle burger.

 
Lol, years ago I often made (and loved) a blueberry cheesecake pie. It dropped off my radar and

several years later I decided to make it again. It was way too sweet and cloying to my taste by then. Such a disappointment.

 
That exact thing happened with Toblerone mousse. So very simple and (I originally thought) perfect

I made it 10 years later and it was SO sweet I couldn't eat it. I do think the method is good, but if I do it again, I'll use half Toblerone and half 72% dark.

 
So true Michael.

But one reason is that because we are all so connected to the world now tastes and availability of ingredients- as well as the quality of ingredients- have changed us all. For instance- I remember fondly my Mom's pot roast....but when I really think about it she used CANNED MUSHROOMS because there were no fresh ones in the town we lived in. The quality of the meat was good as it was local but the wine she put in the roast was cheap junk. Somehow in my mind it was the most delicious thing ever smileys/smile.gif And recipes from my youth and young married life now are bland and boring.

 
My favorite lunch in the school cafe was creamed tuna on shoestring potatoes

A website from home published the school cookbook and I made that lunch. WHAT WAS I THINKING!!???!

 
Do you have your mom's cake recipe?

I've made mounds bars with graham cracker & coconut, so I love the combination.

Thanks for reading,
Ann

 
Oh no. This was the olden days and I'm old even. Don't think there were bundts around

then, it was that long ago. It was just a plain 9x9. There are lots of recipes I've tried but none comes up to that one in terms of flavour.

And it sure was in the day before wafers were already crumbled for us.

 
That can happen with sweetness, I think. You could cut back on the sugar and use part goat cheese

in the cheeecake pie part? ;o)
Do you have the recipe? i'd love to try it.

 
Yup. I fondly remember eating "tacos" my Mom made with my Dad until we liked...

...mariachi music.

I tried to reproduce them, since my Mom was not really a master at Mexican food:

Corn tortillas, limp and greasy, as they had been "fried" in oil and folded over a rectangular chunk of velveeta cheese.

Fill with hamburger, browned off with Lawry's Taco Seasoning from the little packet, with a little shredded iceberg lettuce on top.

Douse with plenty of Tobasco.

They were DISGUSTING. Why would I think otherwise?

M

 
OOh. No. But that was another one. We called it Hot Milk Cake with broiled coconut on top. LLLLardi

That was so good as well. And I have the recipe for that if anyone wants it.

But thank you. It has graham wafers in it. There are versions of it that I have tried, so many, but ..... I don't know what's missing. Maybe what's missing is my memory of what it actually was.

 
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