Fresh Apricot Season: It’s Short and Sweet

Don’t blink, or you’ll miss this year’s apricots. The short season also accounts for the fact that there are so few recipes calling for fresh apricots; they’re hardly around long enough to think of how to cook them. Fanny Farmer did, however, manage to dash off this dessert, made with a puree of fresh apricots that serves well as a pie filling or a topping for ice cream, yogurt or pancakes.

APRICOT WHIP

1 cup fresh apricots, pitted, sliced thin, but not peeled

1/4 cup sugar or mild honey

2 teaspoons lemon juice

Dash salt

3 egg whites

Simmer apricots in water to cover 10 minutes. Drain. Puree in blender or food processor. Transfer to heavy-bottomed saucepan.

Add sugar to apricot puree and cook over medium-low heat, stirring often, until thickened. Remove from heat and add lemon juice and salt. Let cool to lukewarm.

Beat egg whites until stiff but not dry. Whisk 1/3 of whites into puree, then fold mixture into remaining whites. Spoon into 1-quart souffle dish.

Place dish in pan of hot water and bake at 300 degrees until firm, about 45 minutes. Serve warm. Makes 4 servings.