White chocolate and roasted apricot fool

Ingredients:

16 large, ripe apricots

2 large, unwaxed oranges

150g dark brown sugar

1 tsp vanilla extract

350g white chocolate

600ml whipping cream

150g meringue, lightly crushed

8 sprigs of mint to decorate

Preparation:

1. Pre-heat the oven to 200˚C.

2. Cut the apricots into quarters and remove their stones. Place them in a large mixing bowl.

3. De-zest the oranges then quarter them. Add the zest and orange quarters to the mixing bowl and mix in the sugar and vanilla to coat the fruit.

4. Pour the mixture into an oven tray and allow to bake for about 15-20 minutes, until the fruit is golden and slightly caramelised. Once removed, turn down the oven to 160˚C.

5. Meanwhile, melt 300g of white chocolate in a bowl over steam.

6. Whip the cream until soft peaks form. Take care not to over-whip.

7. Once the fruit has cooled a little, remove the orange quarters and squeeze their juice over the apricots. Discard the squeezed orange.

8. Stir the apricots and return the pan to the oven they are sticky and caramelised.

9. Mix together the meringue, whipped cream and about half the fruit, then swirl in the melted white chocolate.

10. Serve in glasses or bowls with the remaining fruit pieces on top, grated white chocolate and decorated with mint.

Pair with a bottle of  Cuvée Madame de Château Coutet 1995

This recipe was specially created by Alex Yandell