Apricot whip

This delicious ice cream blends the rich sweetness of dried apricots with the light tang of cream cheese — a winner on any diet!

* Makes about 1 1/2 pints

• 2 cups dried apricots (Hunza apricots recommended, if available)
• 1 cup water
• 1 cup orange juice
• 2 tsp. pure vanilla extract
• 1 tsp. almond extract
• 4 tbsp. honey or preferred sweetener
• 1 cup fat-free cream cheese
• 1 cup fat-free milk
• 2 tbsp. toasted sliced almonds, to decorate

Simmer the apricots in a small saucepan with the water and orange juice until really soft (20 to 30 minutes). Blend in a food processor until very smooth. Add the vanilla and almond extracts, honey, cream cheese, and milk. Blend again until smooth. Chill.

Transfer the chilled mixture to an ice cream maker and churn following the manufacturer’s directions, or freeze using the hand-mixing method. When firm, leave in the freezer until ready to serve. Decorate ice cream with the toasted almonds.

The ice cream can be frozen for up to 3 months. Remove from the freezer 15 minutes before serving to soften slightly.

Variations:

• Prune whip

When preparing the basic recipe, replace the apricots with pitted dried prunes.

• Pumpkin whip

Prepare the basic recipe, replacing the apricots with canned or cooked pumpkin. Omit the water and the cooking step. Serve with toasted pumpkin seeds instead of almonds.

• Apple whip

Prepare the basic recipe, replacing the apricots with dried apples (or, if you prefer to use fresh apples, cook 2 sweet apples, peeled and cored, with only 1/2 cup water).

• Quince whip

Replace the apricots of the basic recipe with 2 cups peeled and chopped fresh quinces.