Hello from NL 56. This is Bake Sense, the somewhat ordered record of ramblings that concern the world of baking. Here, we champion flavour and wholesome ingredients and keep an open and curious mind that questions where those ingredients come from and how we can make the most of them.
If push comes to shove, I think Apricots take the top spot when it comes to favourite fruits. The ideal specimen is aromatic - honey scented, as soft and downy as a newborn’s fist. The plushy flesh is sweet, with a balanced acidity that, coupled with their size, makes them perfect for eating out of hand, one followed by another.
Last year, I wrote more in-depth about the highs of apricot season and the disappointing lows of pre-packed supermarket punnets. You can read it here, where you’ll also find a roadmap of sorts featuring some of my favourite apricot applications, preparation methods, and flavour notes. I’ve included ingredients that pair perfectly and ways in which they can be used in baking and composed desserts. Today, I wanted to add another match to the canon with a recipe for Champagne Apricots.
Whilst Apricot season is a cause for celebration, I know it’s not necessarily an excuse to open a bottle of champers. But if your birthday happens to fall in the season, as mine does then there is legitimate reason to do so. If you were not born under the signs of Taurus, Gemini or Cancer then all I can suggest is that you consider making friends or partners with someone who was.
The role of champagne here is to intensify all the best parts of the apricot, to make the apricot taste more of itself. Gentle poaching in a simple solution of champagne, sugar, and vanilla bean renders tender pieces of fruit and a flavourful syrup that can be used in many soon-to-be-summer desserts.