Heavenly Apricot Puree With Cointreau Clementines And A Biscuit Base

• The apricot puree and boozy clementines
• 2 1/2 - 3 cups whole dried squeegy apricots
• 3/4 - 1/2 cups caster sugar
• 1 star anise
• 1/2 cinnamon stick
• 1 1/2 teaspoons rose water
• 2 small clementines, peeled and segmented as for a fruit salad
• 1 cup Cointreau
• 1 tablespoon orange blossom honey
• The biscuit base and topping
• 1/2 box of graham crackers (digestive biscuits), crushed into fine crumbs
• 1-2 teaspoons melted butter
• 1 cup thick double whipping cream
• 1/2 vanilla bean, seeds scraped and saved for use
• 1 tablespoon orange blossom honey
• a handful of slivered pistachios and toasted almonds
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1. Soak the apricots for 4-5 hours and then reserve the water. Soak the orange segments in the Cointreau for the same amount of time (refrigerate) Using the apricot water, boil in a saucepan and add apricots, cinnamon stick and star anise and bring up to the boil. Now add the sugar and honey and allow to dissolve completely. Taste and add more sugar/honey if required. rnrn( Tip: There should be some sugar syrup left in the pan which you will need when making a puree, but mostly the apricots should be very soft and have absorbed most of the liquid.)
2. Once the apricots taste and smell 'cooked' and are very soft, take off the heat , dis-guard the cinnamon and anise and allow to cool slightly before pureeing in a food processor. Add the rose water and then cover and cool in fridge for a bit, until the puree is thickened.
3. Now in a bowl, mix the digestive biscuit crumbs with the butter and then pour into a deep glass serving dish and press down as you would for a cheesecake base then refrigerate for a about 20-30 minutes. While waiting, whip the double cream with the vanilla bean seeds, keep at hand.
4. To assemble, squeeze out the Cointreau from the clementines and arrange over the biscuit base. Next pour the apricot puree, followed by the whipped cream and then decorate with the slivered toasted almonds and pistachios. Drizzle with the fragrant honey and sprinkle with a dusting of ground cinnamon.
5. Chill for about 1/2 before eating, this is not as solid as a cheesecake but you can still pick all the contents up with the spoon right down to the biscuit base!rnrnEnjoy this dessert chilled, with a cup of fresh mint tea.

boozy clementines, apricots, caster sugar, anise, cinnamon, water, clementines, orange blossom honey, topping, crackers, butter, whipping cream, vanilla bean, orange blossom honey, pistachios, ground cinnamon

Taken from food52.com/recipes/15770-heavenly-apricot-puree-with-cointreau-clementines-and-a-biscuit-base (may not work)