I don't remember how exactly I happened to come across the recipe for Apricot-Orange Shortbread Bars on epicurious, but once I saw it, I knew that I wanted to give it a try. I love almonds, and I've rarely come across a jammy bar that I didn't like.
Plus, these bars are so easy. The crust is a mixture of softened butter, sugar, almond extract, flour, and salt. You're supposed to press the mixture into the bottom of a parchment-lined pan, but my crust was so soft that I was able to spread it over the bottom of the pan using an offset spatula. You put a mixture of apricot preserves and Grand Marnier on top of the raw crust, followed by a topping made from some reserved crust mixture mixed with almond paste and sliced almonds. You are supposed to crumble the topping over the preserves, but mine was too soft for crumbling; I did my best to drop blobs of it instead. After another sprinkle of almonds, the bars are ready to bake.
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Recipe: "Apricot-Orange Shortbread Bars" from epicurious.com
Previous Posts:
Plus, these bars are so easy. The crust is a mixture of softened butter, sugar, almond extract, flour, and salt. You're supposed to press the mixture into the bottom of a parchment-lined pan, but my crust was so soft that I was able to spread it over the bottom of the pan using an offset spatula. You put a mixture of apricot preserves and Grand Marnier on top of the raw crust, followed by a topping made from some reserved crust mixture mixed with almond paste and sliced almonds. You are supposed to crumble the topping over the preserves, but mine was too soft for crumbling; I did my best to drop blobs of it instead. After another sprinkle of almonds, the bars are ready to bake.
The bars browned nicely in the oven and I thought that they looked terrific after they were sliced. The only problem was that the crust was undercooked. It was baked sufficiently enough that I didn't hesitate to serve the bars to others, but I think that the crust would have been greatly improved if it had been par baked briefly before adding the preserves and topping (then again, maybe I just screwed up the crust, because I don't think the dough was supposed to be so soft).
Nonetheless, these bars were absolutely delicious, and my tasters loved them. I found it impossible to detect any orange flavor from the Grand Marnier, but the combination of apricots and almonds is one of my favorites. And even though the crust was undercooked, it had a great buttery flavor. The crunch from the nuts was wonderful. These bars offer so much flavor and texture for so little effort and just a handful of ingredients -- they are simply fantastic.Recipe: "Apricot-Orange Shortbread Bars" from epicurious.com
Previous Posts:
- "This Tart Tart Is Pretty Sweet: Lattice-Topped Apricot Tart," July 31, 2013.
- "When Juicy Fruit Should Get the Boot: Verlet's Apricot Tart," July 29, 2013.
- "Post-Thanksgiving Baking: Rosemary Apricot Squares," November 29, 2010.
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