Roast apricots with cardamom, spiced cream and amaretti

This simple dessert is packed with flavour: apricots dripping with cardamom-infused honey, spiced cream and crunchy amaretti biscuits. You could make it all in advance and just assemble when needed.

12 ripe apricots, halved and pitted

4 long strips unwaxed lemon peel

12 green cardamom pods, crushed and seeds removed

6 tbsp runny honey

500ml double cream

1 heaped tbsp icing sugar, sifted

1 tsp ground cinnamon

4 amaretti biscuits, crushed

Serves: 4 | Takes: 30 minutes, plus cooling

Preheat the oven to 190°C/375°F.

Place the apricots, cut-side up, in a single layer in a

30 x 20 x 5-cm roasting tray and tuck the lemon peel between them.

Using a mortar and pestle, finely grind the cardamom seeds. Mix the cardamom together with the honey and 120ml warm water. Pour the mixture over the apricots, making sure to fill indentations in the fruit. Bake for about 20 minutes, basting occasionally. The fruit should be very tender but still holding its shape. Leave to cool to room temperature.

Very lightly whip the cream – it should flop off the spoon readily – and fold in the icing sugar and cinnamon.

To assemble, layer the apricots and cream into four serving glasses and top with the crushed biscuits, or simply arrange on plates. Serve immediately.