The Catalan Lamb Chops with Apricots and Sage recipe I just made had me craving apricots. A quick search of my Pinterest boards showed me I had only pinned a few recipes that used some form of apricots, and only one that used fresh apricots–Roasted Apricots with Mascarpone and Blackberries. In fact, I had pinned this recipe twice. Not that I blame myself–it looks and sounds scrumptious! And apricots are still in season, so I knew I could find them at my local grocery store. You know what that means: it’s time to roast some apricots!
For a quick dessert take advantage of all the beautiful apricots that are still available. Stuff them with sweetened mascarpone and plop a blackberry on top, drizzle with honey or agave and stick them under your broiler. Garnish with pistachios.
The Ingredients
The biggest “problem” with this recipe was there isn’t one. The author shows gorgeous images, and the text in the quote is pretty much it for instructions. I debated posting this recipe since there technically isn’t one, but I love a challenge. I was determined to give it a try because it just looked so good!
So, how did I do it? I’m glad you asked. Here are the ingredients I used:
- 4 apricots, halved and pitted
- 1 6-ounce container of blackberries
- 8 ounces mascarpone cheese
- honey
I skipped the chopped pistachios for garnishing. Not because I don’t like them–I thought I had some in my pantry but it turns out I didn’t. Next time, though.
The Process
First things first. I have never pitted an apricot, so I found a quick how-to video. It was much quicker and easier than I thought it would be. I was tempted to also peel the apricots, but I decided against it. Their peels are so thin, and the original post didn’t mention peeling them.
Then I placed the halves on a greased broiler pan and filled each with 1 measured tablespoon of mascarpone cheese. After that, I topped them with a whole blackberry and generously drizzled each with honey.
Once the prep work was complete, it was into the oven (I had been preheating my broiler on high while prepping the apricots). I also had the rack on the second-highest level since I wasn’t sure the highest level would allow enough clearance for the pan and filled apricots. I think it would have, but I was playing it safe.
Since no time was given by the author, I kept a close eye on things. The cheese melted pretty quickly, as you can see below, but it didn’t begin to char until the 4-minute mark. That’s when I took them out of the oven–I didn’t want to risk all of the cheese and honey melting away.
And there you have it. Lovely roasted apricots in just under 10 minutes. They were a tad bit messier than the author’s pics but they tasted soooo good!
In case you’re like me, I’m including a printable version of this recipe below. I just feel better when I have a reference, even with simple recipes.
Roasted Apricots With Mascarpone and Blackberries
Ingredients
- 4 apricots unpeeled, halved and pitted
- 8 blackberries
- 8 tbsp mascarpone cheese (I used an 8-ounce container)
- honey or agave syrup
- chopped pistachios to garnish (optional)
Instructions
- Place oven rack on the highest level that will allow room for the pan and filled apricots (I used the second-highest). Preheat broiler to high.
- Spray an oven-proof broiler pan or cookie sheet with non-stick spray and set aside.
- Halve and pit the apricots. Place the pitted halves on the greased pan.
- Add 1 tablespoon of mascarpone cheese to each apricot half. Then top with a blackberry, gently pressing it into the cheese so it doesn't roll off. Drizzle each apricot generously with honey or agave syrup.
- Broil the apricots for approximately 4 minutes, until the cheese has begun to char.
- Remove from the oven, sprinkle with optional chopped pistachios, and allow to cool slightly before enjoying.
Notes
