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Charred Apricot Halves with Brown Butter Caramel & Halva

Indulge in the delightful combination of charred apricots and warm brown butter caramel, complemented by nutty halva and crunchy pistachios for a perfect summer dessert.
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Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Total Time 25 minutes
Servings: 4 servings
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Calories: 320
Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

For the apricots
  • 8 pieces ripe apricots, halved and pitted
  • 3 tbsp unsalted butter for charring
  • 2 tbsp brown sugar for coating
  • 1 tsp ground cinnamon for coating
  • ½ tsp ground cardamom for coating
  • ¼ tsp flaky sea salt for coating
  • 1 tbsp olive oil for greasing the pan
  • Fresh thyme sprigs for garnish
  • Tiny edible white flower petals for garnish
  • 1 tbsp warm honey for drizzling
  • Flaky sea salt for sprinkling
For the brown butter caramel
  • ⅔ cup unsalted butter
  • ⅔ cup brown sugar
  • ⅓ cup heavy cream
  • 3 tbsp wildflower honey
  • 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
  • ½ tsp ground cinnamon for caramel
  • ½ tsp flaky sea salt for caramel
For the halva topping
  • 6 oz pistachio halva, crumbled
  • ¼ cup pistachios, roughly crushed

Method
 

Preparation
  1. Pat the apricot halves dry with paper towels.
  2. Toss the apricot halves with the brown sugar, cinnamon, cardamom, and salt until coated.
Charring the Apricots
  1. Heat a cast iron pan over high heat until hot.
  2. Add 3 tablespoons of butter to the pan and let it foam; then place the apricots cut-side down.
  3. Char the apricots for about 4 minutes until they are beautifully blackened.
  4. Flip and cook the skin sides for another 2 minutes.
Making the Caramel
  1. In another saucepan, heat the remaining butter over medium heat until golden brown, about 5 minutes.
  2. Whisk in the brown sugar, heavy cream, honey, vanilla, cinnamon, and salt until a luscious caramel forms.
Serving
  1. Crumble halva into pieces and mix with the crushed pistachios and a bit of salt.
  2. Arrange the charred apricots on a serving plate, drizzle with the warm caramel, scatter the halva crumble, and garnish with thyme, flower petals, a drizzle of honey, and a sprinkle of flaky sea salt.

Notes

For an extra layer of flavor, consider adding a splash of bourbon to your caramel while it cooks. Watch the apricots closely as they char for the right amount of caramelization.