Apricot Almond Bars

I feel a little bit bad about something.

I feel like I have been a little too focused on chocolate as of late (like the Tunnel of Fudge Cake, and the Brownie Scrap Pile. Oh, and the Irish Cream Chocolate Mousse, don’t forget that one). I’m so not apologizing- I know it’s fundamentally wrong to apologize for chocolate-a-cizing our world, one cookie and bar and goopy dessert at a time. If I could, I would glaze the earth in ganache. (I just remembered it’s Earth Day- happy Chocolate-Covered Earth Day!) But all this chocolate… at the expense of the fruity desserts? I’m torn.

There’s a place for fruit in the dessert kingdom, I know. (Sometimes chocolate gets to guest star in the fruit dessert play- like in the Chocolate Covered Strawberries, or in the Fudgy Orange Brownie Cake with Orange Cream Cheese Icing.) Fruit does need to take center stage a little more often here at More Sweets, Please (as long as it’s accompanied by ample amounts of sugar and butter, baked into a relationship with the help of 350° oven). So here’s my commitment to you- as long as I keep the chocolate flowing, I’ll also up the ante in the fruit department this spring and summer. I know I need to pony up on a good old fashioned apple pie soon (I have a feeling The Husband will request/demand one soon, like how he pulled the “Proper” Peach Pie suck attack last year), but maybe I’ll do something with plums soon. Or pluots- the crazy cross between plums and apricots I saw at Whole Foods last year. (If they had a better name I’d so make a Pluot Pie. But no one wants a pie with that name, do they?)

Okay- so the Apricot Almond Bars- here’s what’s going on in this little ditty: picture a buttery almond cookie on the bottom, then a nice slathering of apricot preserves baked onto the top. That’s it. And that’s all this needs- it’s nutty and fruity. What more do you want? (Don’t say chocolate.)

Adapted from my Toasted Almond Brown Sugar Cookie recipe…

1/2 cup butter, room temperature

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 cup dark brown sugar, firmly packed

1 egg

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1 tablespoon vinegar

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 cup slivered almonds, toasted (plus 2 tablespoons for optional garnish)

1/2 teaspoon almond extract (real, not imitation)

3/4 cup apricot preserves
1. Preheat oven to 400° and lightly grease a foil-lined 9″ square baking pan.
2. In a large bowl, beat butter for 2 minutes (until light); gradually add sugars, beating well at medium speed of mixer. Add egg, blending well and scraping bowl.
3. In a small bowl, dissolve baking soda in vinegar. In a large bowl, combine flour and baking powder; add to creamed mixture alternately with vinegar mixture, beginning and ending with the flour mixture.
4. Stir in toasted slivered almonds (reserving some for tops of bars if you really want) and almond extract. Spread dough into prepared pan and bake for 15 minutes (until top of cookie base looks like it is set and starting to brown slightly). Remove pan from oven, spread apricot preserves evenly over top of cookie base, and return to oven to bake for 5 – 8 more minutes, until preserves look bubbly.
Tips:
- Your preserves… what kind to get? Totally up to you. I like the Bonne Maman brand (from France… oooh!), but you can pick what you prefer. You could even use raspberry or strawberry preserves- they go well with almond. Or even marmalade! What the hell. Go crazy.
- Toasting the nuts is essential. Please don’t even think of arguing with me. Just toss them on a baking sheet and put them in the oven for 6 – 8 minutes or so. (Peek after 5, and shuffle the pan so they toast evenly. They can burn quickly. Not that I have burned nuts or anything like that before.)
- Pig out! Take some batter and make a few cookies (bake for 8 – 10 minutes) so you can eat some solo while the bars cool.
- Garnish- feel free to sprinkle some toasted almonds over the top of the bars when you remove them from the oven… and maybe sprinkle some confectioners’ sugar overtop. Hello.
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April 24th, 2013 | More Sweets Please | 2 Comments | Tags: Brownies & Bars, Fruit, Nuts

2 Responses and Counting...

Brian Wellman 04.24.2013

Proper suck attacks, like their distant cousins proper pies, have their place. Just like fruit does in dessert!
– The Husband
More Sweets Please

Alright, alright. I’ll get going on some very “fruit-forward” pies. And galettes. And bars. And other fruity concoctions. Maybe even brownies with some sort of fruit in them— oooh, Raspbery Fudge Brownies. Yes, for sure.