I realized this morning that we’ve been in our house a year now, which means I’m at the end of Mike’s cooking challenge. While I didn’t achieve cooking something weekly, thanks to life events and the like, I came close. And, I found that cooking is not as hard as I thought, although I’m not going to lie, I still like being cooked FOR much better than doing the actual cooking. But I get some enjoyment out of making stuff that Mike and Annie both like, and I want Annie growing up with homemade food, so I will keep at it.

My Aunt Lynn gave me this recipe for apricot bars. They were really delicious.

Apricot Bars

You need:

apricot bars

2/3 cup dried apricots
1/2 cup softened butter
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 1/3 cup sifted flour (set aside the 1/3 cup flour)
2 eggs
1 cup brown sugar
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp vanilla
Confectioners (powdered sugar)

rinse apricots

Rinse apricots well.

cover with water

Cover with water and simmer 10 minutes. Drain and cool.

blend

While the apricots cool, blend butter, sugar, and 1 cup flour until the mixture is crumbly.

pack batter into pan

Pack in a greased 8″ square pan. I don’t have a square pan! So I improvised. Then bake for 15 minutes or until lightly browned.

chop apricots

Chop the apricots into small pieces.

beat eggs and sugar

Beat eggs, gradually adding the brown sugar.

add other ingredients

Sift together remaining 1/3 cup flour, baking powder and salt, then stir the flour mixture into egg/sugar mixture. Blend in vanilla and apricots.

spread mixture over baked layer

Spread mixture over the baked layer.

bake

Bake 350° degrees for 30 minutes. Once they are cool, sprinkle with confectioners sugar.

Apricot Bars

Mmmm, they are so chewy and delicious.

taste test

Ready for, as Annie called them, “the coooooookies.”

bites

tasting…

thumbs up

Two thumbs up! They were all gone in about…five minutes.

ENJOY!

Print
Apricot Bars
Author: 
Recipe type: Dessert
Prep time: 
Cook time: 
Total time: 
Serves: 8
 
Ingredients
  • ⅔ cup dried apricots
  • ½ cup softened butter
  • ¼ cup granulated sugar
  • 1⅓ cup sifted flour (set aside the ⅓ cup flour)
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 cup brown sugar
  • ½ tsp baking powder
  • ¼ tsp salt
  • ½ tsp vanilla
  • Confectioners (powdered sugar)
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees
  2. Rinse apricots, cover with water and simmer 10 minutes. Drain, cool, and chop apricots into small pieces.
  3. While the apricots cool, blend butter, sugar, and 1 cup flour until the mixture is crumbly. Pack in a greased 8" square pan.
  4. Bake 15 minutes or until lightly browned.
  5. Beat eggs gradually adding the brown sugar.
  6. Sift remaining ⅓ cup flour, baking powder and salt.
  7. Stir flour mixture into egg/sugar mixture.
  8. Blend in vanilla and apricots. Spread mixture over the baked layer.
  9. Bake 350 degrees for 30 minutes.
  10. Cool and the sprinkle with confectioners sugar.
  11. Cut into serving pieces and ENJOY!