mid august. just a handful weeks away from the start of another season. while you may still be enjoying the abundance of fresh summer fruits and veggies, you may also be feeling the subtle stirring of autumn. the light has shifted ever so slightly- warmer, more golden. dawn arrives ever so slightly later, while dusk comes earlier. blink and these gentle signs of transformation are easy to miss. these apricot cookie bars are my answer to this transition. they match the brightness of summer with the essence of the season yet to come.
they're a perfect balance of sweet and savory, with an equally balanced flaky, crumbly and chewy texture. these easy to make cookie bars have notes of creamy sweet butter, woodsy pine, delicately tart apricot and rich caramelized white chocolate. they're as intriguingly delicious as they are familiar in their layers of perfectly match flavors and complementary textures. one thing is for sure, I know I can't stop at just one!
in a few words, these cookie bars are
- buttery
- toasted flaky exterior
- chewy interior
- sweet
- slightly savory
- notes of citrusy, woodsy pine
- sweet, tart, floral apricot
- balanced by rich, caramelized white chocolate
- no chill
- super easy to make!
what ingredients do I need to make these buttery bars?
these apricot cookie bars are easy to make, but do require a few special ingredients. you will need:
- all purpose flour
- almond flour
- salt
- granulated sugar
- lemon
- fresh rosemary
- unsalted butter
- egg
- vanilla extract
- white chocolate
- dried apricots
- flaky salt
what kitchen tools do I need to make these apricot cookie bars?
you most like already have everything you need. however, make sure you have:
- stand mix with paddle attachment
- or electric hand mixer with beaters and a big mixing bowl
- 8X8 (20cm) baking pan
- parchment paper
- this helps to remove the bars from the pan
- a good knife and cutting board
- for chopping the dried apricots and white chocolate
- oven thermometer
- this is the one I use and LOVE
- I highly recommend having one for baking
tips and tricks for the perfect cookie bars
- bring all the ingredients to room temperature
- promotes easier mixing
- decreases the risk of over mixing
- hand stir the dry ingredients to the wet
- save some pieces of white chocolate to top the dough before baking
- fully preheat the oven before baking
- line the bottom and two sides with parchment paper
- makes lifting the bars from the pan super easy
- swap the all purpose or almond flour for a 1:1 GF flour
- I like this one from Bob’s Red Mill
- I highly encourage you to try the recipe as written
- however, if you really hate rosemary, you can omit it
- sub the dried apricots with dried apples if you absolutely need to
- again, it's best to try the recipe as written the first time!
- bake the bars until they are lightly golden on the edges and pale in the center
- cool the bars for 25-30 minutes in the pan
- they will continue baking in the hot pan
- place hot pan on a cooling rack
- if topping with flaky salt, do this in the first few minutes offers coming from the oven
- best enjoyed while warm
- reheat for 10-20 seconds in the microwave
more buttery cookie bars to try!
- blood orange cookie bars
- peanut butter cup cookie bars
- birthday cake cookie bars (small batch)
- salted caramel rye blondies
apricot cookie bars
these quick and easy apricot cookie bars are made from a sweet and buttery cookie base filled with lemon zest, rosemary, white chocolate and dried apricots. the result is a chewy, slightly crumbly cookie bar that is deliciously balanced between sweet and savory, with notes of pine, citrus and caramelized chocolate.
Equipment
- stand mixer with paddle attachment or elecric hand mixer with beaters
- 8X8 pan
- parchment paper
Ingredients
- 1 3/4 c (210g) all purpose flour
- 1/3 c (32-37g) almond flour
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 c (200g) granulated sugar
- 1 zest of medium lemon
- 1 tbsp fresh rosemary, finely chopped
- 1 c (227g) unsalted butter, room temperature
- 1 (57g) large egg, room temperature
- 1 tsp (5ml) vanilla extract
- 1 c (6oz./ 170g) good quality white chocolate, chopped
- 1/2 c (85g) dried apricot, chopped (about 11-12)
- 1-2 tsp flaky salt for finsihing, optional
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 F (177 C).Line a 8X8 (20cm) pan with parchment paper along the bottom up the sides and with a 1-2" overhang. This makes it easier to left the cookies out of the pan without breaking them.
- Whisk the flours and salt together until well combined.
- In a stand mixer with paddle attachment (or hand mixer with beaters) rub the sugar, lemon zest and rosemary together until a wet, sand like texture appears.
- Add butter to the infused sugar and beat on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 3-4 minutes.
- Add the egg and vanilla extract, beating each one on low for about 20 seconds before adding the next.
- Add the dry ingreidents to the wet and mix by hand or on the lowest setting until JUST combined.
- Fold all the chopped apricots and about 3/4 white chocolate into the cookie dough. While the dough is still in the bowl, use your hands to incorporate any stray pieces that didn't get worked into the dough.
- Starting at the edges, working in to the center, evenly press the dough into the prepared pan. Top with the remaining 1/4 of the chopped white chocolate.
- Bake the dough in a 350F oven for 30-35 minutes or until the edges are set and golden brown. The center will look lighter – more a light golden brown. Remove the baked cookies from the oven to cool in the pan on a cooling rack for about 30 minutes. Top with flaky salt if desired.
- Slice and enjoy!
Notes
almond flour: the weight of 1/3 c can range depending on the brand you use. the easiest way to figure out the weight for the brand of almond flour you have it to look on the back. most have the weight for 1/4 c. multiply this number by 4. now divide the total by 3. this will tell you the weight of the flour you are using.
almond flour sub: use 1/4 c + 1 tbsp all purpose flour (38g) in place of the almond flour. the almond flour gives the cookies a nice chewiness, so keep it if you can!
apricots: for this recipe, I used dried Turkish apricots from trader joes. each apricot was chopped into quarters. each quarter was chopped into 2-3 more pieces, yielding about 8-12 chopped pieces per dried apricot.
white chocolate: for this recipe, I used Ghirardelli white chocolate bars chopped into roughly the same size as chocolate chips.
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Make sure to tag me on instagram @olivesnthyme. For more delicious dessert ideas follow me on pinterest
make sure to tag me on instagram @olivesnthyme. for more delicious dessert ideas follow me on pinterest.
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