Apricot Bars

If your tree is brimming with apricots this summer and you need a place to put them. This is an excellent place to start: Apricot bars.

I have always loved raspberry bars and strawberry bars growing up, but they were always made with jam. They never tasted fresh to me. I vowed to never dip into the jelly unless it was for a peanut butter and jelly sandwich.

This recipe is very simple and you can make a batch in just under an hour.

They go fast! 

Apricot Bars                                                     Makes 16 bars

Crust:

6 tbl whole wheat flour
6 tbl all purpose flour
1/3 cup light brown sugar (not packed)
3 tbsp cornstarch
2 tsp grated lemon zest
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
4 tbsp unsalted butter, cut into bits and chilled
1 tbsp fat free Greek yogurt

1. Preheat the oven to 350F. In a food processor or by hand, combine the flours, brown sugar, cornstarch, lemon zest, baking powder and salt and process until combined. Add the butter and yogurt to the flour mixture and pulse/work with your hands until butter is the size of peas and mixture sticks together. 

2. Spray a medium jelly roll pan with release spray (pam) then, turn out your dough, pressing into an even layer.

Bake until evenly browned about 20-22 minutes.  Cool the crust on a metal rack for at least 15 - 20 minutes. 
Prepare the Filling while crust bakes:

6 apricots, depitted, cut into 6ths
1/2 c sugar
juice of one lemon
1 egg

1. Add all the ingredients to a small pot and cook on medium-low for 20 minutes or until apricots break down and begin to thicken. 

2. Whisk egg quickly for 15 seconds, add 1 tbl of hot apricot compote and blend. Add egg mixture to rest of the hot apricots, mix until fully combined. 

Crisp Topping

1 tbl butter
1/4 c oats
1/4 c all purpose flour
1 tbl brown sugar 

1. In a separate bowl, combine all ingredients together in food processor or by hand until crumbly and butter is well blended.

Assembly

1. Spread the hot apricot compote over the warm crust and sprinkle with crisp.

2. Bake at 350F for 15 minutes or until golden and bubbly. 

3. Cut into bars and serve hot with ice cream or cold for any time :)

Calories calculated using Sparkrecipes Calculator: 109 Calories per serving