Baked Apricots in Orange Blossom Syrup

Tina Wasserman
Recipe by
Tina Wasserman

Orange blossom water is ubiquitous in Jewish cooking from the Levant to the Maghreb.

Ingredients
6–8 ripe apricots
2 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons orange juice
2 tablespoons orange liqueur, Grand Marnier, triple sec, or Cointreau
1/4–1/2 teaspoon orange blossom water
Topping:
2 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons finely chopped almonds
Fine zest from 1/4 large orange
1 tablespoon softened butter or pareve margarine
Directions
  1. Preheat oven to 325°F.
  2. Wash the apricots and cut in half along the crease of the fruit. Remove pits. Place apricots cut side up in a buttered dish just large enough to hold the fruit without crowding.
  3. Combine the 2 tablespoons of sugar with the orange juice, liqueur, and orange blossom water. Microwave for 20 seconds to partially dissolve the sugar. Pour over the fruit.
  4. Combine the topping ingredients with your fingertips, and sprinkle evenly over the center of each fruit half.
  5. Bake for 10–15 minutes (depending on the size and ripeness of the fruit).
  6. Broil for 3 minutes or until tops are slightly golden.
Additional Notes
  • Any stone fruit (fruit with a pit) can be used for this recipe — plums, nectarines, pluots (cross between a plum and an apricot), or cherries.
  • When a recipe that is baked calls for nuts, the nuts should not be roasted beforehand or they will get overcooked and bitter.
  • Serve the hot fruit as is or with ice cream or thick yogurt.