October 19, 2007

Here's yet another favorite recipe from Brigit Binns, Mascarpone-Stuffed Dried Apricots.

Says Brigit, "I love this dish because it perfectly embodies my belief that skipping steps is fine as long as you don’t skimp on quality, flavor, and style. Earthy-sweet dried apricots, creamy-rich and just slightly tart mascarpone, and a glass of Italy’s finest dessert wine are complemented by a few of the best almonds in the world, for the crunch factor. Here, it’s about the shopping, not the cooking—yet it’s hard to get more tastefully civilized!"

Kick up your feet and enjoy this deliciously easy dessert, Mascarpone Stuffed Dried Apricots with a Glass of Vin Santo and Marcona Almonds:

Procedure

• Cut each apricot almost—but not all the way—in half, crosswise, to make a stuffable pocket.

• Stuff each with a teaspoon of mascarpone, close it up gently, and place three apricots to one side of a large plate.

• Either make a small mound of the almonds on the other side of the plate, or place them in a small dish, such as a wide bamboo sake cup.
• Pour the vin santo into tiny glasses (grappa glasses work well) and place one next to the apricots.
• Repeat to plate five other servings.

Note: Bring the mascarpone to room temperature for 10 minutes.

Serves 6.

Vin santo literally means "holy wine."

You can find this recipe, Brigit's Smoky Shrimp Escabeche, and many more in her new cookbook, The Relaxed Kitchen.

Visit Chef Brigit Binns on the web @ brigitbinns.com.

Order a copy of Brigit Binns' The Relaxed Kitchen here.

• Get the recipe for Brigit's Smoky Shrimp Escabeche