Description
Simple wholesome ingredients create these snack bars.
Ingredients
Units
Scale
Apricot Jam
- 1.5 pounds fresh apricots, sliced and skin on
- 2 cups sugar
- 1 tsp orange blossom water*
- 1/8 cup fresh lemon juice
- 1 tsp corn starch + splash of water
Shortbread Cookie
- 1 pound + 4 tbsp unsalted butter (515 grams or 4.5 sticks), softened
- 1.5 cups powdered sugar
- 2 eggs, whisked
- 1 tsp kosher salt
- 8 cups all-purpose flour - 1000 grams (spooned and leveled)
- 1/2 tsp baking powder
Instructions
Apricot Jam
- In a large pot, add your sliced apricots, sugar, orange blossom water and lemon juice together.
- Allow mixture to come to a boil, use a potato masher to break up the apricot pieces while cooking.
- After mixture comes to a boil, lower to a medium-low heat and cook for about 20 minutes continuing to break up the apricot pieces.
- In a small bowl add your corn starch and a splash of water to create a slurry, add to mixture. Continue cooking for another 20-25 minutes until jam is thick.
- Remove from heat and let cool, you can also refrigerate at this time and use later.
Shortbread Cookies:
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer with paddle attachment, add your butter and powdered sugar to create a creamy mixture.
- Next add your eggs and continue to blend, scraping down sides as needed.
- Finally add in your dry ingredients; flour, salt and baking powder until blend until a cohesive dough forms.
- Divide your dough in two, wrap one half in plastic wrap and refrigerate while you prepare your tray.
Assemble:
- In a half sheet pan (12x17) press half of your dough into an even layer. I like to use a smooth drinking glass and roll across to flatten and even out. Finally, press sides to edge to create a crust.
** see photo below - Next, spread your cooled apricot jam on the shortbread.
- Finally, using a cheese grater with the largest side, remove your refrigerated dough and grate on top of your apricot jam to create a sprinkle.
- Place in top 1/3 of oven and bake for 30-45 minutes at 350 degrees. You'll want to see the top begin to turn a hint of red and the bottom to be cooked through evenly.
- Remove from oven, let cool and dust with powdered sugar. Enjoy!
Notes
- Feel free to sub vanilla for orange blossom water
- You can make the full recipe and only bake half using a 1/4 sheet pan, the other half of the dough can be frozen
- I like to cut my bars into small bite sized pieces, it yields a lot but are just the perfect size