Apricot Almond Cookie Bites

With the Lenten season coming to an end, I’ve set my sights on finding a dessert recipe that would have just enough sweetness to top off anyone’s Easter meal.

Christine Coyle, blogger of Hye Thyme Café, posted a recipe for Apricot Almond Bar Cookies which sounded pretty close to what I had in mind, so I decided to try it. I tweaked it a bit to suit our taste buds and came up with a mighty-fine two-bite dessert  that’s a little sweet with a hint of tart – perfect with a cup of coffee or tea! 

Apricot Almond Cookie Bites

Apricot Almond Cookie Bites
adapted from Chris Coyle’s recipe at Hye Thyme Café

Yield: about 32 - 1 ½ inch squares

Ingredients:

10 Tbsp. unsalted butter (1 stick, plus 2 Tbsp.)

2 cups light brown sugar, loosely packed

2 tsp. vanilla extract

3 large eggs, lightly beaten

2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour

2 ½ tsp. baking powder

½ tsp. salt

1 cup dried apricots, diced

1 Tbsp. flour

1 cup toasted almonds, coarsely chopped

Directions:

In a medium saucepan, melt the butter over low heat. Add the brown sugar and stir until sugar dissolves. Remove saucepan from heat to cool.

Once butter-sugar mixture is cool, stir in the vanilla extract and beaten eggs until well-combined. Transfer the butter mixture to a large mixing bowl. Set aside.

In a separate bowl, mix together the flour, baking powder and salt. Gradually add the flour into the butter mixture, beating after each addition. The batter will be quite thick.

Apricot bits coated in flour

Coat the chopped apricots with 1 Tbsp. flour to help keep the pieces from clumping together.

Finished cookie batter

Fold the apricots and chopped almonds into the batter until evenly distributed.

Skillet-toasted almonds

Preheat oven to 350°F. Lightly grease a 9”x 12” baking pan. Using a rubber spatula, spread the batter evenly into the baking pan.

Batter evenly spread in baking pan

Bake for about 35 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. 
Place the baking pan on a cooling rack. Cool completely before cutting into 1 ½-inch squares.

For an attractive presentation, place each square in a mini muffin paper liner and arrange on a platter.