Turkish Cream Filled Apricots - cooking recipe

Ingredients

1/2 lb whole turkish dried apricots or 1/2 lb dried apricot halves
1 1/2 cups sugar
2 cups water
2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
1 cup mascarpone or 1 cup creme fraiche
1/2 cup chopped unsalted pistachio nuts

Preparation

Place apricots in a bowl and add water to cover and let stand overnight.
Drain.
In a saucepan over medium heat,combine the sugar and 2 cups water.
Bring to a simmer, stirring to dissolve the sugar.
Simmer about 10 minutes or until thickened.
Add the apricots and cook until tender, about 20 minutes.
Stir in the lemon juice and simmer 1 minute longer.
Using a slotted spoon, transfer the apricots to a large plate or baking sheet, reserving the syrup in the pan.
Let syrup cool enough to thicken slightly. If the syrup isn't thick, reduce it a bit over medium heat.
If using whole apricots carefully cut each along the seam with a small sharp knife to create a pocket.
Using a small spoon or pastry bag fitted with a plain tip pipe the filling into the pocket.
If using halves, spoon the filling onto the centers of half of them. Top with the remaining apricot halves.
Arrange the apricots side by side on a serving platter.
Spoon the thickened syrup over the stuffed apricots and refrigerate until the syrup is set, about 30 minutes.
Bring the apricots to room temperature and sprinkle with chopped nuts.