Place the apricots, sugar, lemon juice, lemon peel and water in a pot. Bring to the boil, then reduce the heat and simmer gently for 10 minutes until the apricots are soft. Set aside to cool a little before whizzing up in a food processor.
In another pot over a low to medium heat, heat the double cream and break the chocolate into it. Stir the chocolate until it has melted, then remove form the heat and add the cointreau if you are using it. You could add orange juice instead or leave it plain.
Pour the melted chocolate into 4 bowls or glasses and pop into the fridge.
Whisk the whipping cream until firm. If you like, you may add a little icing sugar, to sweeten it up, but as you are adding some apricot puree, you really don't need to.
Swirl apricot puree through the double cream, leaving some to top the finished dish with.
Spoon apricot fool on top of the chocolate ganache in each of your bowls/glasses and top with some of the remaining apricot puree.
