Apricot Glaze

This glaze is used either over fruit cakes to hold the fruit garnish and nuts on the lower portion of sponge cakes before a filling is added, or over uncooked pastry cases to be filled with a fruit or even custard filling.

Make your own: 1/4 lb dried apricots + 1 cup water + 3/4 cup corn syrup.
Put apricots into a bowl, cover with water and soak overnight. Cook them in the same liquid until softened. Drain the liquid through a fine sieve, rubbing through with it half the apricots. Measure the pur?e. There should be about 1/2 cup (2/3). Pour pur?e back into the pan and then stir in the corn syrup. Bring to a rapid boil; continue to boil at this temperature for 2-3 minutes, or until the mixture is clear. Remove the pan from heat, immediately brushing the glaze onto the cake or pastry. If desired, decorations may be added after the first coating of glaze has been put on; a quick second coat over the decoration should follow.

If any glaze is left over, it can be stored, provided it is dried. Before using it again, the glaze must be brought once more to a boil. There should be enough glaze to coat a 12 to 14 pounds of fruitcake. Any leftover apricots can always be used at another time in another dish.