Wine-Poached Apricots

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup Muscat wine (Moscato)
• 7 tablespoons sugar
• 1 tablespoon honey
• 2 cardamom pods, cracked
• 1/2 vanilla bean, split lengthwise
• 1- by 4-in. strip lemon zest
• 1 cup dried apricots (preferably California)

Preparation

1. 1. Put wine, 1/2 cup water, sugar, honey, and cardamom pods in a small saucepan. With a small knife, scrape seeds from vanilla bean and add to pan with pod and lemon zest. Bring to a boil over high heat, add apricots, reduce heat, and simmer until apricots just begin to soften, about 5 minutes. Let cool in syrup.
2. 2. Strain apricots before using, discarding cardamom pods, vanilla pod, and zest; save syrup for cake icing and to drizzle over ice cream or yogurt.
3. Make ahead: Up to 3 days, chilled in syrup.