Apricots in Armagnac Syrup

Ingredients

• 1 cup Armagnac
• 12 glacéed apricots, preferably Australian
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1 tablespoon pomegranate juice (optional)

Steps

1. Preheat the oven to 300°. Heat the Armagnac in a small saucepan. Arrange the apricots in a glass baking dish and pour the Armagnac on top. Cover with foil and bake for 15 minutes.
2. Drain the hot Armagnac into a large skillet and carefully ignite it. When the flames die down, add the sugar and simmer over moderately high heat until thickened, about 5 minutes. Add the pomegranate juice and the apricots and simmer over low heat, turning them twice, until the syrup is reduced to about 1/3 cup, about 3 minutes; let cool. Thickly slice the apricots and store them in the syrup.