> Skip to content

Recipe  •  6 August 2025

 

Roasted Apricots, Cardamom Cream and Pistachio Brittle

Make the most of the short apricot season with this quick summery dessert. The apricots are roasted with honey and orange juice and served with a smooth cardamom cream and a crunchy pistachio brittle. It's the perfect laid-back dessert to serve at the end of dinner party.

This is another very simple but effective dessert. I like to serve this as a light summer pudding when perhaps the main meal was on the heavy side. The pistachio brittle is totally addictive and stores well, so making a lot of it is always welcome.

 

INGREDIENTS

  • 6 apricots (plums also work), stoned and quartered
  • Juice of ½ orange
  • 1 heaped tsbp honey
  • For the pistachio brittle:
    • 100g caster sugar
    • 2 tbsp water
    • 80g unsalted shelled pistachios, roughly chopped
  • For the cream:
    • 200ml double cream of choice
    • ½ tsp ground cardamom

 

METHOD

  1. Preheat the oven to 190°C/375°F/gas 5 and line two baking trays with baking parchment.
  2. Start by making the brittle. Put the sugar and water in a small saucepan over a low heat. Bring to the boil, swirling the pan until the sugar has dissolved. Continue cooking the sugar for about 10 minutes – it will change colour from light golden to deep amber. Watch it carefully so it doesn’t burn – it’s a fine line! Once it reaches this deep amber shade, remove from the heat and add the pistachios, stirring to coat the nuts, then pour on to one of the lined baking trays while still malleable. Set aside to cool – it will need about 15–20 minutes to fully set before you can crack it into pieces.
  3. Next, lay the apricot quarters on the other lined baking tray. Pour over the orange juice and honey and mix well. Transfer to the oven and bake for 20 minutes until tender. Let them cool for 15 minutes before serving.
  4. While the apricots are in the oven, whisk together the cream and cardamom until a thick dropping consistency.
  5. Once the apricots are cooked, spoon a couple dollops of cream on to a small plate, create a well in the middle using the back of spoon and then spoon a few apricots in followed by a drizzle of their juices. Top with the brittle and serve.

Feature Title

Cooking Fast and Slow

A collection of over 100 simple, satisfying plant-packed recipes that are low on effort but BIG on flavour

Read more

More features

See all recipes
Recipe
Basil, Courgette and Pistachio Pasta

The perfect quick summer meal, this simple pasta dish uses only a few simple ingredients but is packed with bright, herby flavours.

Recipe
Classic Apple Pie

This is a family favourite.

Recipe
Nonna Gracie's Lasagne

This may not be your traditional lasagna, but I've been making it this way for more than 50 years.

Recipe
Cumin-spiced Lamb Chops with Roasted Squash

When you’re short on time but want something that feels a little fancy, this Indian style traybake is a lifesaver.

Recipe
Spectacular Shakshuka

This is my favourite meal in this book.

Recipe
Flaky Strawberry Turnovers

These sourdough discard turnovers feature flaky, buttery pastry wrapped around a sweet strawberry filling and finished with a gorgeous pink glaze.

Recipe
Courgette & Ricotta Salad

Singing of summer, this is one of those beautiful dishes that’s at its best when made with bang-in-season courgettes and tomatoes. An utter joy.

Recipe
Glazed carrots

This fancy way of presenting vegetables has the advantage that the initial cooking can be done several hours ahead.

Recipe
Buddy Oliver’s Rocky Road

This easy-to-follow rocky road recipe from Buddy Oliver is a fun one to make with kids

Recipe
Jamie Oliver’s Golden Hasselback Salmon

This recipe by Jamie Oliver is a celebration of Mediterranean flavours and ingredients, featuring tender salmon rubbed with anchovies, harissa couscous, chickpeas and vegetables. It comes out of the roasting tray ready to serve with harissa yoghurt and lemon.

Recipe
Make your own bagels

The dual cooking process of making bagels takes time and patience but ensures a perfect balance of flavour and texture. Once poached, finish them with toppings of your choice, then bake.

Recipe
Shiitake Broth with Miso and Cavolo Nero

This miso soup hits the spot when you’re craving something salty and comforting.

Looking for more recipes?

See all recipes
penguin pop image
penguin pop image