Ingredients
500ml Water
½ cup caster sugar
1 vanilla bean pod, split and scraped
4 strips lemon rind
2-3 tbsp lemon juice
1 cinnamon stick
1 tbsp green cardamon pods, lightly cracked
24 dried apricots, the biggest and juiciest you can buy
200g mascarpone (or traditionally clotted cream/kaymak is used in Turkey)
24 walnut halves
Method
Place a medium-large saucepan over a medium heat. Add in the water, sugar and stir until the sugar dissolves. Add the vanilla pod and seeds along with the strips of lemon rind, lemon juice, cardamon pods, cinnamon stick and reduce the heat to low-medium. Simmer for around 15 mins or until it begins to reduce slightly.
Add the apricots to the syrup and poach for 15 mins (your syrup should be reduced and sticky). Turn off the heat and leave the apricots in the poaching syrup until cooled.
Depending on the thickness of your mascarpone, you might need to place it into the freezer for around 15 mins to thicken.
Once the apricots are cooled, pour some boiling water into a mug so you can clean your spoon as you fill your apricots.
Taking one apricot from the poaching syrup, gently tease it open (dried apricots have a natural split line where it is easy to split and open). Carefully spoon in just enough mascarpone into the cavity then top with a walnut half. Place onto a serving platter. Repeat with the remaining apricots walnuts, cleaning your spoon in the hot water between each fill.
To serve, place all onto a serving platter and drizzle with some more of the poaching syrup and serve with the sticky lemon rinds. You can serve immediately, or place in the fridge until you are ready.
To make this delicious cake, preheat oven to 175°C fan forced. Grease a 22-24cm round cake pan with butter and line with baking paper. Sift together the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, allspice and salt in a medium bowl. In a separate large bowl, whisk together caster sugar, egg, and melted butter in a large bowl until pale; whisk in 1 cup wine and vanilla. Add flour mixture, and whisk gently to combine.
Pour cake batter into prepared pan, and smooth top. Bake until a toothpick inserted in centre comes out clean, 30-35 minutes. Let cake cool completely.
To make the ganache, place chopped chocolate, diced butter, and golden syrup in a large heat proof bowl. Play over a saucepan with 5cm of boiling water. Allow the chocolate to start melting, then stir to combine. Once completely melted and combined, stir in the icing sugar and the red wine. Remove from the heat and let stand at room temperature until slightly thickened.
Turn out cake onto a plate, and then flip again onto you serving plate/platter. Dollop the ganache on top and then using a spoon, swirl it around, letting it drip down sides. Sprinkle with raspberries and flaky sea salt. Best served after about 30 mins and the ganache has set a little.
Enjoy!
