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Brown Sugar-Apricot Bars

Source of Recipe


Baking by Flavor






List of Ingredients



• Nonstick cooking spray
  
• 1 cup coarsely chopped dried apricots
  
• 1-1/2 Tbsp apricot preserves
  
• .
  
• -- Batter --
  
• 1/2 cup unsifted all-purpose flour
  
• 1/4 cup plus 2 Tbsp unsifted cake flour
  
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
  
• 1/4 tsp salt
  
• 1/2 tsp grated nutmeg
  
• 1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
  
• 1/4 tsp ground ginger
  
• 8 Tbsp (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted and cooled to tepid
  
• 2/3 cup firmly packed light brown sugar, sieved if lumpy
  
• 1/4 cup plus 1 Tbsp granulated sugar
  
• 2 large eggs
  
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
  
• 1/2 cup lightly packed sweetened flaked coconut
  
• 2/3 cup chopped walnuts, lightly toasted and cooled
  






Instructions



1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees (F). Spray a 9-inch square baking pan with cooking spray; set aside.
   
   
2. In a small nonreactive mixing bowl, mix the chopped apricots and apricot preserves together. Set aside.
   
   
3. Sift the all-purpose flour, cake flour, baking powder, salt, nutmeg, cinnamon and ginger onto a sheet of wax paper.
   
   
4. Combine the melted butter, brown sugar and granulated sugar in a large mixing bowl using a wooden spoon. Blend in the eggs and vanilla. Add the sifted flour mixture and stir to form a batter. Using a rubber spatula, blend in the coconut, walnuts and apricot mixture. Scrape the batter into the prepared pan. Smooth the top.
   
   
5. Bake on center oven rack 25 minutes, or until golden on top and just set. Transfer the pan to a cooling rack. Cool completely. Cut the entire cake into 4 quarters, then cut each quarter into six bars using a small, sharp knife. Remove the bars from the baking pan using a small, offset metal spatula. Store in an airtight tin. (The bars can be frozen up to a month.)
   
   Makes 24 bar cookies.