Apricot Budino Dream

I'm late. I'm late.
For a very important date!
No time to say "hello" good bye.
I'm late.
I'm late.
I'm late.......
Said the white rabbit.....Ok perhaps I'm not too late.
There are still fresh apricots in the market and I hope you will be able to find some to make this incredible pudding.

I have been making this apricot pudding for a little while now since I discovered the recipe this summer in a local Italian magazine called, "Sale & Pepe" (Salt and Pepper).
Then the apricots began to rain down and I haven't stopped making it yet.
To me apricots are such an under appreciated fruit.
They're soft and luscious with a tartness that cuts through their sometimes mushy mash that delights and surprises the taste buds alone or with the other usual suspects, like deep rich chocolate  or buttery crisp pastry with a good measure of almonds, just to name a few.
However I digress.
Trust me try this pudding while the apricots last and if you miss them this year, make sure you book mark this recipe to try later.

Budino di Albicocche e Amaretti

Apricot and Amaretti Pudding

6 servings:

500 g apricots, fresh

120 g sugar (10 T)

3 ½ oz / 100 g (1 dl) white wine

1 stick of cinnamon

1 vanilla bean

4 eggs

5 amaretti cookies, crushed into fine crumbs

Wash the apricots and remove the pits.

Place the apricots, 40 g sugar(3 heaping T), white wine, sugar and cinnamon stick, and vanilla bean in a small sauce pan and cook on moderate heat for 30 minutes.

While the fruit is cooking, make the caramel.

Remove from the heat and remove the cinnamon and the vanilla bean.

Blend the fruit with the liquid till al is smooth and homogenous.

In a bowl whisk the eggs, add 80 g (the rest of the sugar) sugar, fruit sauce and amaretti crumbs.

Blend till well mixed.

Caramel;

100 g (½ c) sugar

15 g (1 T) water

In a smooth heavy bottomed sauce pan add the sugar and water.

Turn on the heat, cover with a lid.

Don't get distracted or walk away or most likely you will have burnt caramel.

Watch the pot till the sugar dissolves without stirring it and only slowly shake the pot if need to make the sugar smooth out.

Once the liquid begins to turn a golden caramel color and the desired color is achieved remove from the heat.

Slowly pour the caramel into the bottom of a small smooth bottomed tube pan, tilting the pan so the caramel goes slightly up the sides and center tube. Set aside till filling later.

Pour the fruit egg mixture into the tube pan with the caramel on the bottom. Place the filled pan into a larger pan that you can fill partly up the sides of the tube pan to make a water bath.

Bake the pudding at 350*F / 180* C. for roughly 1 hour or till the pudding is well set.

Remove from the oven and hot water bath and cool till tepid.

Refrigerate the pudding in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours or over night if you like, before serving.

To serve, remove the pan from the refrigerator. Run a palette knife around the edges of the pudding to loosen. Sometimes it also helps to run the bottom of the pan over a warm surface or flame to loosen the caramel.

Place a plate over the top of the pudding pan and gently flip it over.

Tap gently if the pudding needs to be nudged to drop to the plate.

Slice and serve with whipped cream with a drizzle of the caramel from the pan. 

I can hear you smacking your lips now. 

Ciaooooooo!