Apricot Almond Shortbread Bars Recipes

APRICOT ALMOND SHORTBREAD BARS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°.
• Beat butter and sugar in mixer bowl until fluffy.
• Beat in egg yolks and vanilla and almond extracts.
• Mix in flour and toasted almonds until the mixture forms a soft dough.
• Divide dough in half.
• Press one half into 15x10-inch jellyroll pan.
• Spread evenly with preserves.
• Cover completely with remaining dough (flatten pieces with hands and carefully patch on top of preserve layer).
• Bake 45 minutes, or until golden brown.
• Cut into 3x1-inch bars.
• Can be made ahead.
• Wrap and freeze up to 1 month.
• Thaw wrapped at room temperature.

APRICOT ALMOND BARS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°. Cream butter, brown sugar and salt until light and fluffy. Beat in vanilla. Gradually beat in flour. Press onto bottom of a greased 15x10x1-in. baking pan. Spread with preserves., In another bowl, beat almond paste and sugar on low speed until blended. Beat in vanilla and eggs, one at a time. Pour over preserves., Bake 20-25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in almond layer comes out clean. Cool slightly on a wire rack., Meanwhile, place chocolate in a large bowl. In a small saucepan, bring cream just to a boil; pour over chocolate. Stir with a whisk until smooth. Add confectioners' sugar, butter and vanilla; beat until smooth., Spread over warm bars. Cool completely before cutting.

APRICOT BARS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350º. Line a 9 x 13 pan with parchment paper.
• In a small saucepan, cover apricots with water and bring to a boil. Simmer for 20 minutes until soft. Drain, reserving 1/4 cup water. Place 1/4 cup water back in the saucepan and add 3/4 cup sugar. Cook over medium heat until sugar has dissolved.
• Chop apricots and add to saucepan, turn off the heat.
• In the bowl of an electric mixer, combine butter and 1 cup sugar and beat until fluffy, about 2 minutes. In a separate bowl, whisk together four, soda and salt. Add to butter mixture and mix until combined. Add toasted coconut and pecans.
• Place 3/4 of the mixture into prepared pan, pressing it with the bottom of a measuring cup. Bake for 10 minutes until it is golden brown. Remove from oven and spread apricot mixture over the crust. Sprinkle the remaining crust over the top and bake an additional 25-30 minutes until the top is golden brown.

WINNING APRICOT BARS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°. In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy, 5-7 minutes. Beat in egg and vanilla. In a small bowl, whisk flour and baking powder; gradually add to creamed mixture, mixing well. Fold in coconut and walnuts., Press two-thirds of dough onto the bottom of a greased 13x9-in. baking pan. Spread with preserves; crumble remaining dough over preserves. Bake 30-35 minutes or until golden brown. Cool completely in pan on a wire rack. Cut into bars.

APRICOT BARS WITH SHORTBREAD CRUST

Steps:

• Set oven to 350 degrees.
• Grease an 8x8-inch baking dish.
• For the shortbread crust: blend flour, sugar and salt together for about 10 seconds in a processor.
• Add in cold butter using on/off turns, and process until coarse meal forms.
• Press crumbs firmly into bottom of the pan.
• Bake for about 25 minutes, or until the center is golden, remove and keep oven heat on to same temperature.
• To make the filling: place apricots in a small saucepan and add enough water to cover; bring to a boil and simmer until soft (about 4 minutes) drain, and set aside.
• In a small bowl sift together flour, baking powder and salt.
• Using an electric mixer beat eggs in a large bowl for about 2 minutes.
• Add in brown sugar and vanilla and beat until thick.
• Stir in flour mixture.
• Mix/mix in the apricots and nuts.
• Spread over the shortbread crust.
• Bake for about 35 minutes, or until puffed and dark golden brown.
• Cool in dish.
• Cut into small squares or triangles, and dust lightly with powdered sugar.

APRICOT SHORTBREAD BARS

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). In a medium bowl, stir together the flour and sugar. Cut in butter until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Press into the bottom of a 9x13 inch pan.
• Bake for 12 to 15 minutes in the preheated oven, or until firm. While the crust is baking, place apricots in a saucepan with enough water to cover. Bring to a boil, and cook for 10 minutes.
• Drain, reserving 1/2 cup of the liquid. Return the apricots and reserved liquid to the pan, and stir in the lemon zest. Mix together the sugar and cornstarch, and stir into the apricot mixture. Bring to a boil, and boil for 1 minute. Remove from heat and allow to cool. Spread onto the prepared crust, and sprinkle the walnuts over.
• Bake for 20 to 25 minutes in the preheated oven, or until firm to the touch. Cool completely before cutting into bars.

APRICOT SHORTBREAD

Steps:

• Heat oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4 and grease and line a 20cm square shallow cake tin with baking parchment. Put the apricots and conserve in a small pan with 4 tbsp water, simmer over a medium heat until thick, then mash the apricots a little with a fork and set aside to cool.
• Tip the butter, sugar and vanilla into a large bowl, and beat with an electric whisk until pale and fluffy. Add the flour and ground rice, using a wooden spoon and then your hands to bring the mixture together as a dough. Divide into 2 pieces.
• Use your fingers to spread 1 piece of shortbread dough over the bottom of the tin. Spread the apricots over the top, leaving a small border around the edge. Roll out the remaining dough to a 20cm square and place on top of the apricot filling. Use your finger to make an indent all around the edges of the shortbread, then prick the top all over with a fork. Bake for 25-30 mins until the edges are just starting to turn golden. Leave to cool in the tin, then sprinkle with caster sugar and cut into 16 squares.

APRICOT SHORTBREAD BARS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees and spray an 8x10 baking dish with baking spray.
• To your stand mixer add the butter and sugar and cream on medium speed until fluffy, about 2-3 minutes.
• Add in egg yolks and vanilla extract until creamy.
• Add flour, baking powder, and salt until just combined.
• Spread about half the mixture into the baking dish and press gently.
• Spread apricot jam over the shortbread.
• Sprinkle remaining shortbread mixture over the apricot jam.
• Bake for 35-40 minutes or until golden brown.
• Cool completely before slicing.

APRICOT-ORANGE SHORTBREAD BARS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 325°F. Butter 9x9x2-inch metal baking pan; line bottom and sides of pan with parchment paper, extending over sides. Butter parchment. Mix preserves and orange liqueur in small bowl; set aside.
• Using electric mixer, beat 1 cup butter and sugar in large bowl until well blended. Beat in almond extract. Add flour and salt; beat just until blended. Transfer 1 cup of dough to another small bowl; add crumbled almond paste and mix with fingertips until small clumps form. Mix in 1/4 cup sliced almonds; set aside for topping.
• Press remaining dough evenly onto bottom of prepared pan. Spread preserves mixture evenly over. Using fingertips, coarsely crumble topping over preserves, then sprinkle 1/4 cup almonds over. Press topping lightly into preserves.
• Bake shortbread until top and crust edges are golden brown, about 1 hour. Cool completely in pan on rack. Using parchment paper as aid, lift shortbread from pan. Cut shortbread into 4 equal strips, then cut each strip crosswise into 8 small bar cookies. (Can be prepared ahead. Store in single layer in airtight container at room temperature up to 4 days or freeze up to 2 weeks.)