Apricot Bars with a Shortbread Crust
Sweet, chewy, buttery, and just a little bit nostalgic, these apricot bars are everything I want in a dessert and nothing I don’t. No fresh apricots? No problem. This old-school recipe uses dried apricots, a golden shortbread crust, and a crunchy coconut-pecan topping that might just steal the show.
Ingredients
- 12 ounces dried apricots ((11/2 cups) chopped)
- 1 ¾ cups sugar (divided)
- ¾ cup butter (softened)
- 2 cups flour
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup sweetened coconut (toasted)
- ½ cup pecans (chopped)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350º. Line a 9 x 13 pan with parchment paper.
- In a small saucepan, cover chopped apricots with water and bring to a boil. Simmer for 20 minutes until soft. Drain, reserving ¼ cup water. Place ¼ cup water back in the saucepan and add ¾ cup sugar. Cook over medium heat until sugar has dissolved.
- Add the cooked apricots back to the saucepan and 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 ¾ 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.
Video
Barbara's Notes + Tips
- Start with softened butter. If you press your finger on it it will indent but not go all the way through.
- Line the pan with parchment paper to make it easy to remove when cooled.
- Refrigerate after cooled to make cutting into bars even easier.
Nutrition
Calories: 180kcal | Carbohydrates: 29g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 7g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Cholesterol: 13mg | Sodium: 95mg | Potassium: 170mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 20g | Vitamin A: 590IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 11mg | Iron: 1mg
