Apricot Almond Shortbreads Recipes

ALMOND SHORTBREAD I

Steps:

• In a large bowl, beat butter with 1/2 cup sugar and almond extract until light and fluffy. With a wooden spoon, stir in flour until smooth and well combined. Divide dough into 2 parts. Wrap in plastic and refrigerate for 2 hours.
• Preheat oven to 300 degrees F (150 degrees C).
• On lightly sugared surface, roll out dough, one part at a time, about 1/2-inch thick. Cut out cookies with a 1 1/2-inch round cookie cutter. Place on ungreased cookie sheet 1 inch apart. Make an indentation in the center of each cookie with the end of a wooden spoon.
• Bake in preheated oven until cookies are light golden brown around the edges, 25 to 30 minutes. While still warm, roll in sugar. Cool completely on a wire rack. Store in an air-tight container.

ALMOND APRICOT BARS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 325°. In a microwave, melt 1 cup chips; stir until smooth. Set aside. , In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in melted chips and vanilla. Gradually beat in flour. Spread half of the batter into a greased 8-in. square baking dish. Bake 15-20 minutes or until golden brown. Spread with jam., Stir remaining chips into remaining batter. Drop by tablespoonfuls over jam; carefully spread over top. Sprinkle with almonds. Bake 30-35 minutes or until golden brown. Cool completely on a wire rack. Cut into squares; cut squares in half.

APRICOT ALMOND SHORTBREAD SHELLS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°F. and butter 36 mini-muffin cups.
• Into a bowl sift together flour, confectioners' sugar, cornstarch, and salt. In a food processor pulse mixture with almonds until combined well. Add butter and almond extract and blend until a dough just forms, about 1 minute.
• On a lightly floured surface with floured hands form dough into thirty-six 1-inch balls. Press balls lightly into cups and bake in middle of oven until pale golden, about 15 minutes. Cool shortbreads in cups on racks 2 minutes and with a 3/4-inch melon-ball cutter carefully scoop out an indentation about 1/4 inch deep in centers. Cool shells completely. Gently loosen sides of shells with a thin knife and carefully remove from cups (shells will be very fragile). Shells may be make 3 days ahead and kept in am airtight container at room temperature.

APRICOT ALMOND SHORTBREADS

Steps:

• Make purée:
• In a small heavy saucepan simmer purée ingredients, covered, 10 minutes. In a food processor purée mixture until smooth. Purée may be make 1 week ahead and chilled, covered.
• Make brandied cream:
• In a small bowl fold brandy and sugar into whipped cream and chill, covered.
• Transfer purée and brandied cream to separate pastry bags fitted with 1/4-inch star tips. Pipe cream into shells until level with tops and pipe a 1/2-inch-high mound of purée on top.
• Sprinkle desserts with confectioners' sugar and garnish with almonds.

APRICOT SHORTBREAD

Steps:

• Heat oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4 and grease and line a 20cm square shallow cake tin with baking parchment. Put the apricots and conserve in a small pan with 4 tbsp water, simmer over a medium heat until thick, then mash the apricots a little with a fork and set aside to cool.
• Tip the butter, sugar and vanilla into a large bowl, and beat with an electric whisk until pale and fluffy. Add the flour and ground rice, using a wooden spoon and then your hands to bring the mixture together as a dough. Divide into 2 pieces.
• Use your fingers to spread 1 piece of shortbread dough over the bottom of the tin. Spread the apricots over the top, leaving a small border around the edge. Roll out the remaining dough to a 20cm square and place on top of the apricot filling. Use your finger to make an indent all around the edges of the shortbread, then prick the top all over with a fork. Bake for 25-30 mins until the edges are just starting to turn golden. Leave to cool in the tin, then sprinkle with caster sugar and cut into 16 squares.

APRICOT ALMOND SHORTBREAD BARS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°.
• Beat butter and sugar in mixer bowl until fluffy.
• Beat in egg yolks and vanilla and almond extracts.
• Mix in flour and toasted almonds until the mixture forms a soft dough.
• Divide dough in half.
• Press one half into 15x10-inch jellyroll pan.
• Spread evenly with preserves.
• Cover completely with remaining dough (flatten pieces with hands and carefully patch on top of preserve layer).
• Bake 45 minutes, or until golden brown.
• Cut into 3x1-inch bars.
• Can be made ahead.
• Wrap and freeze up to 1 month.
• Thaw wrapped at room temperature.

APRICOT SHORTBREAD BARS

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). In a medium bowl, stir together the flour and sugar. Cut in butter until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Press into the bottom of a 9x13 inch pan.
• Bake for 12 to 15 minutes in the preheated oven, or until firm. While the crust is baking, place apricots in a saucepan with enough water to cover. Bring to a boil, and cook for 10 minutes.
• Drain, reserving 1/2 cup of the liquid. Return the apricots and reserved liquid to the pan, and stir in the lemon zest. Mix together the sugar and cornstarch, and stir into the apricot mixture. Bring to a boil, and boil for 1 minute. Remove from heat and allow to cool. Spread onto the prepared crust, and sprinkle the walnuts over.
• Bake for 20 to 25 minutes in the preheated oven, or until firm to the touch. Cool completely before cutting into bars.

APRICOT SHORTBREAD

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 325 degrees, with rack in center. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Place butter, confectioners' sugar, vanilla, flour, and salt in large mixing bowl. Stir well with a wooden spoon until mixture is combined but not too creamy. Stir in dried apricots. Turn out dough onto a piece of plastic wrap, and pat to flatten into a disk. Place in refrigerator 1 hour.
• Transfer dough to a lightly floured sheet of parchment paper, and roll out to 1/4 inch thick. If dough starts to get too soft, place in the freezer or refrigerator a few minutes. Cut out shapes, as desired, and place on prepared baking sheet about 1 inch apart. Bake until golden, 12 to 15 minutes, rotating baking sheet halfway through. Remove from oven, and transfer cookies to a wire rack to cool. Cookies will keep up to 5 days at room temperature in an airtight container.