These easy to make apricot bars are a favorite in my family and will be in yours, too. They are perfect with a steaming mug of hot chocolate in front of a cozy fire.
Apricot Bars Recipe
Makes about 32 cookie bars
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- Grease an 8 x8 x 2 inch baking pan
Ingredients:
- 2/3 cup of dried apricots. Apricot filling may be substituted for dried apricots for convenience.
- 1/2 cup of soft butter or margarine (Allow the butter or margarine to come to room temperature.)
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1 cup sifted flour
- 1/3 cup sifted flour
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup brown sugar, packed
- 2 eggs, well beaten
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
- 1/2 cup chopped walnuts
- confectioners sugar
Directions:
- If using dried apricots: Rinse the apricots thoroughly. Place in a saucepan and cover with water. Boil the apricots for 10 minutes. Drain the fruit and allow to cool. Chop the apricots into very small pieces.
- Mix 1 cup of flour, butter and granulated sugar until crumbly. Pack the crust in the greased pan. Bake the crust for about 25 minutes or until lightly browned.
- In a small bowl, sift together 1/3 cup of flour, baking powder and salt.
- In a large bowl, beat the eggs and gradually add the brown sugar. Be sure to mix well.
- Slowly add the flour mixture to the eggs and mix well.
- Mix in the vanilla, chopped nuts and chopped apricots (or apricot filling, if you prefer).
- Spread the mixture over the baked crust layer. Be sure to cover the crust entirely.
- Bake for 30 minutes or until the mixture tests done.
- Cool the apricot cookie completely in the pan before cutting.
- When cooled, cut the cookie into bars.
- Roll each bar in confectioners sugar.
Apricot bars were a favorite of my Swedish grandmother in Pennsylvania, and she always seemed to have them fresh-baked when I would come for a visit.. Sometimes, she would bake them while I was there and their tantalizing aroma made the kitchen feel warm and cozy. Served with milk, coffee, tea, or my favorite, hot chocolate, they are a luscious, satisfying treat you'll want to bake often. Using apricot filling instead of preparing the dried apricots makes these rich cookie bars easier than ever to prepare. If you don't have any confectioners sugar on hand, don't worry. They are just about as wonderful. But, the sugar gives the bars a "frosty" look which kids just seem to love.
The copyright of the article Apricot Bars Recipe in Pies/Cookies/Squares is owned by Sharon E.. Permission to republish Apricot Bars Recipe in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.
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