These bars were a bona fide hit over the holidays. Sweet, but not too sweet. Moist, but firm. Easy to make a large pan of them….and they freeze well. They’re not really a Christmas cookie, but they were special enough to add to my holiday plate of cookies and sweets:
The original recipe was in metric measurements, but don’t worry – I’ve converted it for those of us who don’t measure our butter or flour in grams or our temperature in Centigrade (and if you want to try the original recipe, note that 180C is 350 F, not 250!). I also doubled the recipe to make a full jelly roll size pan. And finally, I opted for a family favorite apricot glaze instead of the plain glaze it called for. Love.
Glazed Apricot Bars
Ingredients:
1 1 /2 cups butter, slightly softened
2 cups sugar
4 eggs
2 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup milk
2 cup flour
1 1/2 cup dried flaked coconut
16 ounces dried apricots, diced
Directions:
Preheat oven to 350. Spray jelly roll (12×17 or 11×18) pan with cooking spray and line with parchment paper; spray again. In large bowl, cream butter and sugar at low speed until well-blended. Add eggs and vanilla and mix well. Add all remaining ingredients until combined. Pour into pan and spread evenly. Bake for 30-40 minutes. Once cooled, frost with a glaze.
Apricot Glaze
Ingredients:
2 cups powdered sugar
1/2 cup apricot preserves
2 tablespoons softened butter
Directions:
Combine in mixing bowl and beat until well-blended. Spread over bars. It will become tacky, but never completely harden.
Wow, what a lovely bake! Hmmmmm, I can tell it’s real yummy! =)