While there is very little better than a fresh apricot eaten straight from the tree, if you are lucky enough to have a good crop you will need to be a little more imaginative. Baking apricots intensifies the flavour and will bring the best out of any fruit that is not quite perfectly ripe. The combination of spices in this syrup enhances different aspects of the apricot’s flavour, while baking them whole – with the stones still inside – adds another layer of complexity, with nutty almond flavours emerging. Try this alongside a scoop of good-quality vanilla ice cream or with double cream. This baked apricots recipe would also work well with fresh peaches.