Prue Leith Thinks You Should Try More Things on Toast

Prue Leith is a beloved co-host of the popular British cooking series, "The Great British Bakeoff." This fall, she's released her latest cookbook, Bliss on Toast, with seventy-five recipes for ingredients and flavors that go great on toast, a British classic. Prue Leith joins to share her love of things on toast and take your calls.

Apricots, almonds & Devonshire clotted cream on an English muffin

This is the most divine, indulgent and irresistible dessert. Don’t skimp on the cream or jam. Better forgo it altogether than try to make it healthy! It’s best made with ripe fresh apricots. If using canned fruit, roast them anyway – it will deepen their flavor.

2 large apricots, or 3 small ones

3 tbsp butter, half of it melted

2 tsp sugar

1 English muffin, split and toasted

2 tbsp apricot preserves

1 tbsp sliced almonds, toasted (see tip, below)

1 small jar of Devonshire clotted cream, or ¾ cup mascarpone

Get the broiler as hot as possible. Halve the apricots, remove the pits and put the halves, pitted side up, on a broiler pan. Brush them with the melted butter and sprinkle with the sugar.

Broil, not too close to the elements or gas flame, for 8–10 minutes until brown around the edges. Meanwhile, butter the toasted muffin halves and put them on warm plates. Spread them with apricot preserves and share the apricot halves between them.

Sprinkle with the almonds and serve with clotted cream or mascarpone.

TIP

You can toast the sliced almonds in the oven under the broiler pan at the same time as roasting the apricots, but they burn in a flash, so be careful. Safer, probably, to stand over them while you gently turn them in a frying pan, or cook for 3 minutes in the microwave, giving them a stir halfway.