Apricot & Chocolate Fool

I had apricots on the brain after Chele announced they were the topic for this month's We Should Cocoa, so I was very pleased to come across a punnet of rather lush looking red apricots. I haven't come across red apricots before. These were rather inaptly named Violet Apricots.

These jewel like fruits sat in the fridge for a week before I got around to using them. I know apricots don't have a long shelf life, but these were still beautiful. I settled on an apricot fool and decided to add the chocolate as a layer to the bottom of the glass. Just perfect as my entry for the challenge.

Please excuse the photos, it was a dark, dreich day in Scotland, so they are rather poor, but they will give you an idea of the dish and I can assure you it was delicious.

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Apricot & Chocolate Fool

Written by Jacqueline Meldrum

July 13, 2011

Apricots and chocolate. Mmmmmmm! A quick and easy dessert to use up any stoned fruit left over in your fruit bowl.

Ingredients

• 10 apricots, halved and stone removed
• grated peel from 1 lemon
• juice from 1/2 lemon
• 1/4 cup water
• 6 tbsp icing sugar
• 300ml whipping cream
• 100g dark chocolate
• 150ml double cream
• 1 tbsp Cointreau, optional

Instructions

1. Place the apricots, sugar, lemon juice, lemon peel and water in a pot. Bring to the boil, then reduce the heat and simmer gently for 10 minutes until the apricots are soft. Set aside to cool a little before whizzing up in a food processor.

2. In another pot over a low to medium heat, heat the double cream and break the chocolate into it. Stir the chocolate until it has melted, then remove form the heat and add the cointreau if you are using it. You could add orange juice instead or leave it plain.

3. Pour the melted chocolate into 4 bowls or glasses and pop into the fridge.

4. Whisk the whipping cream until firm. If you like, you may add a little icing sugar, to sweeten it up, but as you are adding some apricot puree, you really don't need to.

5. Swirl apricot puree through the double cream, leaving some to top the finished dish with.

6. Spoon apricot fool on top of the chocolate ganache in each of your bowls/glasses and top with some of the remaining apricot puree.

7. Chill well before serving.

Details

Total time: 20 mins Yield: serves 4

I am also submitting my dessert to Friday Potluck over at Girlichef. Potluck Friday is usually hosted by Erin over at EKat's Kitchan, but she is off on holiday, lucky thing.



Remember to get your entries in for this month's No Croutons Required. The topic is hot peppers and the deadline is the 20th of July 2011.







Also there is still time to get entries in for this month's Bookmarked Recipes. Make time to try out some of the recipes you have set aside and once you have posted them, add them to the linky at the end of this post. You have until the 30th of July 2011. I will post the roundup the next day.



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