I remember creating a personal assembly line: spreading sweet apricot preserves, dolloping tangy goat cheese, and delicately placing strips of basil onto bite-sized bruschetta crackers.

Make the pastry cream: In a saucepan, combine 3/4 cup of the milk with the sugar and basil; bring to a simmer ... Arrange the apricot halves cut side up on the paper and sprinkle all over with ...