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Almond-Apricot Bars
Sue Gray, head of our product development team here
at The Baker's Catalogue, created this recipe in
order to satisfy a craving for two favorite flavors:
almond and chocolate. While the bars are a bit
time-consuming to assemble (four steps, four
layers), they're so rich that they can be cut into
small squares that will go quite a long way... and
they freeze well, always a plus at this hectic time
of the year.
Sue's holiday hint: When baking different kinds of
cookies and treats, place small bags of each kind in
boxes in the freezer, an assortment in each box.
When folks drop by during the holidays you can
"instantly" produce an array of goodies simply by
taking one box from the freezer. Place the cookies
and bars on a serving tray (don't worry, they'll
thaw quickly), and folks will think you've been
baking all day! Also, though butter cookies and bars
hold quite well in airtight jars on the counter,
leaving them out, in plain view, also makes them
accessible to the "cookie monsters." You're far more
likely to actually have cookies available on
Christmas Day if you freeze them.
Crust
1 3/4 cups (12 3/4 ounces) granulated sugar
1/2 cup (2 1/4 ounces) confectioners' sugar
1/2 cup (1 stick, 4 ounces) butter, softened
1 teaspoon butter vanilla flavor or 2 teaspoons
vanilla extract
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 large egg yolks (reserve whites)
1 tablespoon milk
1 3/4 cups (7 1/2 ounces) King Arthur Unbleached
All-Purpose Flour
Apricot Filling
1 cup (5 ounces) shredded or diced apricots
1/2 cup (4 ounces) water
1/4 cup (1 7/8 ounces) sugar
2 tablespoons (7/8 ounce) brandy or rum (optional)
Almond Filling
2 cups (6 1/2 ounces) toasted almond flour
1 cup (7 1/4 ounces) sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 large egg + 2 egg whites
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon almond extract
2 tablespoons (1/2 ounce) King Arthur Unbleached
All-Purpose Flour
Chocolate and Cream Topping
1 1/3 cups (8 ounces) bittersweet chocolate
3/4 cup (6 ounces) heavy cream
Crust: In a medium-sized mixing bowl, beat together
the sugars, butter and vanilla until fluffy. Add the
baking powder, salt, egg yolks and milk, and beat
well. Stir in the flour and mix just until a smooth
dough forms. Press the dough into the bottom of a
lightly greased 9 x 13-inch pan. Bake the crust for
10 to 12 minutes in a preheated 350°F oven, until
it's lightly browned. Remove it from the oven, and
set it aside to cool.
Apricot Filling: Mix all of the ingredients together
in a small saucepan or microwave-safe bowl. Bring
the mixture to a boil, stirring once or twice, and
then set it aside to cool slightly.
Almond Filling: Stir all of the ingredients together
in a medium-sized bowl; the mixture will be fairly
stiff and sticky. Set it aside.
Assembly and Baking: Spread the apricot layer over
the baked crust, and then spread the almond layer on
top of the apricot layer. Bake the bars in a
preheated 375°F oven for 25 to 30 minutes, until
they feel set -- a fingerprint will remain when
pressed in the middle. Remove the bars from the
oven, and cool them for 1 hour.
Topping: Melt the chocolate and cream together in a
small saucepan set over low heat, stirring
frequently, or in the microwave on low power.
Continue to stir the mixture until it's smooth, then
spread it atop the bars.
Let the bars cool for several hours (or overnight)
before cutting into squares; no need to refrigerate,
just cover the pan after the chocolate has set.
Yield: 35 (1 3/4-inch square) bars.
Nutrition information per serving (1 3/4 x 1
3/4-inch bar, 64g): 245 cal, 12g fat, 11g complex
carbohydrates, 21g sugar, 4g protein, 1g dietary
fiber, 35mg cholesterol, 80mg sodium, 145mg
potassium, 73RE vitamin A, 1mg iron, 38mg calcium,
89mg phosphorus, 5mg caffeine.
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