Apricot Orange Syrup with Amaretto

My parents have an apricot tree, so I've eaten fresh apricots all my life. I'm used to eating them fresh only, but I recently purchased some apricots that ripened very quickly. I wanted to make a jam or syrup out of them and couldn't find what I wanted, so I made something up. The result is a very sweet, thick syrup. Leave out the amaretto if you don't use it in cooking.

• Preparation Time: 15 mins
• Cooking Time: 2 hr
• Total Time: 2 hr 15 mins
• Calories: 85 Calories

Ingredients

• ½ cup white sugar
• ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
• ¼ cup water
• ½ cup orange juice
• 1 tablespoon amaretto liqueur
• ½ teaspoon cornstarch
• 1 tablespoon water, if needed
• ¾ pound very ripe fresh apricots, pitted and halved

Recipe Instructions

Step 1

Mix together the apricots, sugar, vanilla extract, orange juice, and amaretto liqueur in a saucepan over medium heat, stirring until the sugar has dissolved. Bring to a boil, and cook, stirring constantly, until the apricots are soft and have started to release their juice, about 5 minutes. Reduce heat to low, and simmer until the apricots have broken down, about 1 1/2 hour. If mixture is too thick or begins to burn, stir in 1 tablespoon of water and mix well.

Step 2

Stir cornstarch into 1/4 cup water, and pour into the apricot mixture. Bring to a boil, and simmer until the mixture forms a thick syrup, about 30 more minutes.