Apricot Bars

By cecelia26_

Ingredients

• Crust
• 1/2 cup soft butter or margarine
• 1 cup sifted all-purpose flour*
• 1/4 cup Dixie Crystals Extra Fine Granulated Sugar
• Filling
• 1/4 cup Dixie Crystals Extra Fine Granulated Sugar
• 1 cup Dixie Crystals Light Brown Sugar
• 2 eggs, well beaten
• 1/3 cup sifted all-purpose flour (spoon and sweep method*)
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup chopped pecans
• 2/3 cup dried (cooked) apricots, cut in pieces
• Dixie Crystals Confectioners Powdered Sugar

Details

Servings 9
Adapted from dixiecrystals.com

Preparation

Step 1

Crust
1. Preheat oven to 350°F.
2. Mix above as pie dough or until crumbly.
3. Pack into greased 8 x 8-inch pan.
4. Bake at 350°F for 25 minutes or until slightly brown.

Filling
1. In a sauce pan place apricots in pot in enough water to cover, cook on medium-low heat for 10-15 minutes. Drain; do not use liquid. Once cool cut into pieces, and set to side.
2. In a bowl, mix brown sugar, granulated sugar and eggs; stir well. Then add flour, salt, baking powder, vanilla, pecans and hydrated apricots. Mix until all ingredients are well incorporated.
3. Spread apricot mixture over baked crust layer.
4. Bake 30 minutes more at 350°F. Cool in pan.
5. Cut into 9 equal bars; sift powdered sugar on top of each bar.

*For a fancy finish garnish each apricot bar with a dried apricot and whole pecan.