Apricot teacakes

I was in the mood to bake. I glanced through my cupboard on the list of things I have got, and at the same my mild was jotting down the list of things needed. A huge brown bag with apricots nestled in one corner of my kitchen screamed out loud that I am going to die in few days. Oh gosh! I totally forgot about the apricot I picked at the Farmer's market a week ago. As I stared at this wonderful fruit, the magical view of the summery stone fruit stall came by my eyes. I set a self reminder to buy peaches, plums and apricots again this Sunday. How did I not use the apricots all these days? Even though I walked past that part of my kitchen inhaling the heady fragrance of ripe apricots, it totally slipped out my mind to bake with them or atleast eat the fruit as such.

I looked for a simple recipe for apricot teacakes. I stumbled upon Meeta's apricot teacake. As it was simple and I had all the ingredients, I decided to go with baking apricot teacakes and sent it for the Monthly Mingle - Stone fruit event. It's a brainchild of Meeta, author of What's for lunch honey and this month's host is Sukaina, author of Sips and Spoonfuls. Their photographs are so amazing, whenever I look at them, I get hungry and makes us grab the food out of the computer screen. Don't forgot to check their space.

Since Meeta suggested the use of any nuts, I decided to go with my favorite one - the pistachios. I am on South beach diet for the last 8 weeks and our days are filled with salads and soups. So a treat once a while will do no harm to my dieting routine. With that self-consolation, I got ready to bake them. We loved this teacake. Just one each and the rest were wrapped up and sent to friends. No room for any temptation now.

I just followed her recipe even though I had troubles converting European metric system to US units. I need to buy a scale. That's the next item on my shopping list. My husband keeps wondering about how I keep growing the list day in and day out. My reply is "The need keeps evolving".

Everytime I have complaints from S that the dessert needs more sweetness but for me, it would be perfect. And this time, measuring with the same hand and doing the same thing, S felt that the teacakes tasted perfect: perfectly sweet and delicious. Guess the baking brought our an incredible sweetness of the apricots which added more sweetness to it. I added chopped pistachios to the batter. The teacakes tasted exceptionally wonderful and pistachios and apricots complemented each other so well.

Click here to get the recipe. 

I was pleasantly surprised and excited when S gifted me Nikon D3100 for my birthday. Most of my friends know that I was waiting for an opportunity to buy a DSLR but financial commitments and with a new baby at home, the idea of purchasing it kept postponing. I have waited for two years to get my hands on this new toy. I am thrilled to bits and now, I am busy exploring the user manual. I have decided to finish posting the pictures taken with my Sony Cybershot Point and Shot and then start using the DSLR photographs. Infact, I am humbled and would thank my well wishers and readers who said that even the pictures taken in my P&S pictures were good and many thought that I owned a DSLR. I know that's a bit of an overstatement, but again thank you for those generous comments. Guess they were blinded by the love for me.So that brings another reason for me to bake something sweet. I served these teacakes with warm vanilla pudding.

Ingredients

2 1/2 cups milk
1/2 cup white sugar
3 tablespoons cornstarch
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 large egg

Method

1. In a saucepan over medium heat, heat 2 cups of milk and bring it to a boil. 

2.In a bowl, combine sugar, cornstarch and salt. Pour 1/2 cup remaining milk and whisk well. 

3. Turn off the flame and pour the boiled milk in this bowl. Whisk while you pour. Add the eggs and again whisk continously.

4. Pour this mixture back to the saucepan and cook for 1-2 minutes or until they thicken. Remove from heat, stir in vanilla extract. Chill before serving.

Don't forget to participate in the summer drink giveaway. Click here to enter.