When I spy the first apricots in the market I get excited. To be honest, I never thought it was worth the effort to cook with apricots since they are so perfect to eat out of hand. I so appreciate their velvety skin and their creamy sweet flesh that sometimes has a zing to it. The riper they are, the sweeter the apricots will be. Apricots are one of those fruits that can be a satisfying snack or a simple dessert as is. But I've discovered they are also delicious in many recipes.

I've whipped up a fresh apricot mousse to serve as a light dessert. I've added fresh apricot halves to roast chicken. And I've created a fabulous barbecue sauce with apricots as the star ingredient. This dessert is one more example of cooking with apricots that is indeed well worth the effort.

The idea of Amaretti cookie crumbs as a stuffing seems like a Seriously Simple dessert idea I had to try. Think of an almond macaroon inside of an apricot half. The first time I made this dessert, I didn't cook the apricots long enough because they were not quite ripe. I also realized you want to find large apricots so you will have enough room to stuff each half.

The next time I made this dessert, I made sure the apricots were just ripe but not soft. An added plus is you can make this in the morning, cover and leave at room temperature. Just bake in the oven when you are ready to serve.

Have fun with creating your own presentation. You could place the whole baking dish on the table and let people help themselves. I prefer to plate them on pretty dessert dishes or in bowls and arrange the ice cream and mint around the apricots. Don't forget to spoon a bit of the baked juice on the top just before serving.

Baked Amaretti-Stuffed Apricots

Serves 4 to 6

6 large apricots, halved with pits removed (12 halves)

1 1/2 cups Amaretti snaps (about 4 ounces), about 1 1/4 cookie crumbs

2 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature

1 1/2 tablespoons Amaretto liqueur

1 egg yolk

French vanilla ice cream, for garnish

Fresh mint leaves, for garnish

1. Preheat the oven to 375 F.

2. Place the apricot halves in an oiled baking dish large enough to fit the apricot halves.

3. In a mini-food processor, pulse the Amaretti snaps until they resemble crumbs. Add the butter, liqueur and egg yolk, and process until totally blended together.

4. With a tablespoon fill each apricot half with the cookie mixture.

5. Bake the apricots for about 28 to 33 minutes, or until the filling is set and the apricots are cooked through. This will depend upon the ripeness of the apricots.

6. To serve: Arrange 2 or 3 halves on a dessert dish or in a shallow bowl. Place a few small scoops of ice cream around the apricots. Spoon a little bit of the apricot juice on the ice cream, garnish with mint, and serve immediately.

(Diane Rossen Worthington is an authority on new American cooking. She is the author of 18 cookbooks, including "Seriously Simple Parties," and a James Beard Award-winning radio show host. You can contact her at www.seriouslysimple.com.)