This recipe takes two all-time favorites and combines them to create a delightfully satisfying afternoon diversion. Take one butter cookie crust and spread your homemade apricot mash over it, but don’t stop there! Sprinkle a little more more butter cookie crumble over top that tart apricot spread and violà. It is the definition of tea time. Serve it along side your favorite blend.
There are so many things to love about these Apricot Coconut Bars. Starting with the crunchy buttery crumbly topping followed by the mouthwatering tart apricot center and ending with more buttery crumbs. What’s not to love?
Although usually I appreciate the ease of making cookie bars for desserts, this one takes a little more time than the typical throw everything in a bowl, mix and bake recipe. In this Apricot Coconut Bar recipe you are preparing the apricot spread along with the cookie dough mixture. Don’t be turned off and click to the another food blog just yet!
The extra few minutes it takes to get these Apricot Coconut Bars in the oven is time well spent and will be quickly gobbled up by those you share these delightful treats with for certain. That being said, the final product will be determined by the type of apricot used for the center filling. Ken likes tart apricots and we have found (can’t always find them) that the Blenheim Variety California Apricots sold at Trader Joe’s make this recipe a huge hit for him.
Turkish Apricots are sweeter and Ken does not eat very many bars made using those apricots but most everyone else I know keeps coming back for more. Myself included.
And, although I have used bottled apricot preserves to fill in tiny areas when I ran out of the homemade filling, I have not attempted to use bottled apricot preserves instead of making my own spread for this recipe. I think it would mostly melt away.
It is really not a challenge to make this apricot filling. You start by simmering the cut fruit for a few minutes
Follow that by simmering the softened apricots in the sugar water for about 5 minutes until very very squishy and soft enough to mash until its is smooth. Once that is done you can allow this mixture to cool a bit while you combine the ingredients for the crust.
This next step is the most time consuming and labor intensive. There is probably some easy way to use a pastry blender taught in bakery chef school but I don’t know it and I really am bad at it. I should just “google it” but for some reason have never done so.
Really how often do you use a pastry blender?
Do your best with the pastry blender and cut the still chilled butter into the flour mixture. Do this until your mixture looks like a bowl of soft sand. This may take a lot longer than you may think it should and you will probably need to rest a time or two.
Maybe it’s because I am so not good with the blender but I need to take breaks.
It is also a good idea to use a deeper bowl than shown in the picture below so that your “sand” stays inside the bowl.
Once you have the crust mixture blended to resemble coarse sand add the coconut and pecans and mix it all together well. Now you are ready to spread it into the bottom of the your 13x9x2 dish.
Press that flour coconut mixture into your baking dish but not all of it! Leave enough of the crumble mixture to sprinkle over the top of the dessert. Once you have pressed about 3/4 of your “sandy” coconut mixture into the dish, bake the crust for 10-15 minutes. The crust will turn slightly golden brown and firm.
Remove from the oven and let the crust cool for about 10 -15 minutes because this next step is a little tricky.
Be careful to spread a small portion of the apricot preserves over a small portion of the warm crust little by little as the crust will stick to the sticky fruit. Spread the apricot preserves in a thin layer over the crust and you should have just enough.
Sprinkle the remainder of the flour coconut crumb mixture over the apricots and put it back in your oven for 25 minutes. The apricot spread will get bubbly and the topping will be golden brown.
The final step is to call your friends over for tea and surprise them with your Apricot Coconut Bars. Be sure to tell me what you think of this recipe and, if you figure out the secret to using the darn pastry blender, leave that info in the comment section for me too!
Things you will need:
Apricot Bars
- December 2, 2018
- 1 hr
- Print this
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 c dried California apricots
- 1 3/4 c sugar, divided
- 1 3/4 c all-purpose flour
- 1/2 t baking soda
- 3/4 c butter cut into 1/2 inch pieces
- 1 1/2 c flaked unsweetened coconut
- 1/2 c pecans chopped fine
Directions
- Step 1
- Chop apricots into smaller pieces to allow for easier mashing. Put apricots into saucepan and cover with water and bring to a boil then reduce heat and simmer uncovered for 5 mins.
- Step 2
- Reserve 1/4 c liquid and drain the remaining liquid from pot
- Step 3
- Pour reserved liquid back into saucepan with apricots and add 3/4 cup sugar bring to a boil then reduce heat and simmer uncovered for 5 minutes
- Step 4
- Remove from heat and mash until smooth and set aside
- Step 5
- In a large bowl combine flour, 1 cup sugar and baking soda then use a pastry blender to cut the butter into the flour mixture until it resembles coarse meal
- Step 6
- Stir in pecans and coconut to make approximately 6 cups then pat approximately 4 cups of crumbly mixture into bottom of an ungreased 13x9x2 pan
- Step 7
- Bake the crust at 350º for 10- 15 mins until lightly brown then remove from oven and cool about 10 minutes
- Step 8
- Spread apricot mixture very carefully and evenly over the crust
- Step 9
- Sprinkle the remaining flour mixture on top of the apricot and bake an additional 20-25 minutes
- Step 10
- Cool in pan at least 30 minutes before cutting into squares
