Rum & Chocolate Dipped Apricots

Does anyone else feel like they've lost a sense of time, let alone what day of the week it is lately? I've been staying at my parents' place for the past week for the holidays, and without my regular routine I feel a bit thrown off track - but in a good way! It's been so nice to just relax and spend time with family, even though it means I haven't been cooking as much or keeping up with reading all my favourite blogs!

Since I'm sure many of you are also enjoying some time away from your computers, I thought I would just share a simple idea today that hardly qualifies as a recipe.

If you're sick of Christmas cookies but still like having treats around, or if you're looking for ideas for a New Year's Eve party, I'd recommend these rum and chocolate dipped dried apricots!  These were inspired by the popular chocolate and sea salt dipped clementines that I've seen around the blogosphere, but obviously I changed the base to dried apricots and added in a bit of booze because, after all, it is still the holidays!

To make these little treats, you just have to soak some dried apricots in hot rum, let them dry off a bit, and then dip them in melted dark chocolate and let them harden.  If you want to spice them up a bit, feel free to add a dash of cayenne or paprika to the chocolate, along with a sprinkle of sea salt on top of the chocolate for that sweet and salty combination.

I found that each of the flavours - the rum, spice, and sea salt - were fairly subtle on their own, but they all came together nicely for a fun and unique little treat!

Rum & Chocolate Dipped Apricots

Note: The rum taste isn't very strong, but if you don't like rum, or don't want to include alcohol in this recipe, then you can skip that step and just dip the dried apricots in melted chocolate for an even simpler treat!

1/4 cup spiced rum (or enough to cover apricots)

~15 dried apricots

~1 oz dark chocolate

1/4 tsp coconut oil

Dash of smoked paprika (optional)

Sea salt

Place the rum in a shallow bowl (I divided mine into two small glass bowls). Heat in the microwave for 15 seconds (this will help the apricots soak it up better). Add the apricots and submerge them as much as possible in the rum (some parts may still be sticking out).  Let soak for at least one hour, turning the apricots occasionally so that they soak evenly.  Remove from rum and let sit on a foil-lined baking sheet or plate.

Heat the chocolate in a microwave-safe bowl for 30 seconds on high.  Add the coconut oil and heat for another 15 seconds. Stir, and if lumps remain then heat an additional 10-15 seconds until melted. Stir in a dash of smoked paprika if using

Dip one end of each apricot in the melted chocolate and place on the foil to harden.  Once you’ve done a couple of apricots, sprinkle a bit of sea salt over the chocolate before it dries.  Repeat with remaining apricots.  Place the whole tray in the freezer until the chocolate hardens.

Store at room temperature (Note: I stored mine in the fridge for a while, which seemed to make the salt disappear).

Couscous with Figs, Apricots & Pistachios

For the last month or two, I've been on a hunt for one particular seasonal item every time I visit the farmer's market: fresh figs.

Each time I went, I would think to myself: surely they'll have figs this week, they must be ready by now!  So I would start planning all the delicious things I would make with my figs when I got home, but each week, I came home disappointed and empty-handed.

Finally, last week my wish was granted and I was able to buy a small container of ripe black mission figs.  I ate some of them for breakfast - either sauteed with pears, or mixed into yogurt - and the rest of my figs went into this couscous dish.

I was inspired by Moroccan couscous dishes that usually combine dried fruit, nuts and fresh herbs.  So I put together a mixture of fresh figs, dried apricots, pistachios, and fresh parsley, along with some ginger, shallots and cumin for extra flavour.

I really liked the mix of fresh and dried fruit in this dish.  The figs were so juicy and sweet and tasted even better after being sauteed so they were nice and tender, and the pistachios added even more richness and texture.  I tend to be fussy about fresh parsley, but I actually thought it went really well with the other ingredients here and helped to brighten the dish up.

I used very little dressing, just adding a squeeze of lemon juice and a bit of olive oil to the couscous.  I did find it a bit dry though, so feel free to add an extra drizzle of olive oil.  Another option could be to serve this with some plain yogurt, or a sweet chutney - I tried eating my leftovers with a couple spoonfuls of mango chutney on top and loved it that way!

I thought this was an interesting and really tasty way to use up my figs, and it would make a great side dish for Fall meals.  Although knowing my luck, fresh figs will probably be gone from the market already by this weekend, so I might have to wait until next year to make this again!

Couscous with Figs, Apricots & Pistachios

2-3 tbsp raw pistachios, shelled

1 tbsp + 1 tsp olive oil, divided

1 shallot, peeled and diced

1/2 tbsp fresh minced ginger

1 cup water

1/2 tsp cumin

2/3 cup dry couscous

1/4 cup chopped dried apricots

6-8 fresh figs (black mission), quartered

Honey or agave syrup (optional)

1 tsp fresh lemon juice

1/2 tsp lemon zest

1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley

Salt and pepper

Plain yogurt, mango chutney or another fruit chutney for serving (optional)

Heat a small skillet over medium heat. Once hot, add the pistachios and toast for a few minutes, until fragrant. Remove from heat and set aside.

Heat 1 tbsp olive oil in a small saucepan over medium heat.  Add shallots and ginger and sauté for 4-5 minutes, until shallots have started to brown.

Add water to the saucepan and stir in the cumin.  Bring to a boil, then stir in couscous and apricots.  Remove from heat, cover, and let sit for 10 minutes. 

Meanwhile, heat the small skillet again to medium and spray with cooking spray.  Add the quartered figs and drizzle with a bit of honey. Let cook for 3-4 minutes, stirring occasionally.  Remove from heat.

When couscous is done, lift lid and fluff with a fork.  Stir in the lemon juice, lemon zest, parsley, 1 tsp olive oil, and salt and pepper.  Mix in the pistachios and figs. Season with salt and pepper to taste and top with a spoonful of yogurt and/or chutney if desired.

Serve warm.

Makes 2 servings.

This was submitted to Wellness Weekend at Diet, Dessert, & Dogs and Healthy Vegan Fridays.