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
- Preheat oven to 325°F.
- 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.
- 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.
- Combine the topping ingredients with your fingertips, and sprinkle evenly over the center of each fruit half.
- Bake for 10–15 minutes (depending on the size and ripeness of the fruit).
- 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.
