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Apricot Almond Shortbread Bars

30 July 2023 2 years ago126 Views

A rich apricot filling dotted with raspberry jam, heaped on a tender almond shortbread crust and topped with pastry crumbs…what’s better than that? Indeed, these delicious Apricot Almond Shortbread Bars highlight summer fresh apricots–those cheerful golden stone fruits that offer a bright sunny flavor and crisp texture to so many desserts.

These luscious bars are my favorite among apricot recipes to showcase summer fruit in that special way. This delicious recipe for apricot shortbread bars is vegan, low in added sugars and salt, and easy to make! If you don’t have fresh apricots, use canned or frozen.

And don’t be afraid to try this same recipe to make plum, peach, or nectarine shortbread bars (just swap apricots for your favorite fruit)! You can easily make these shortbread bars gluten free with a minor substitution (swap wheat flour for gluten-free flour). Serve these shortbread bars warm with a scoop of plant-based ice cream!

Picking apricots from my tree in Ojai.

This year my apricot trees were so generous! So showcasing a fruit-forward dessert is one of my favorite ways to enjoy a batch of summer stone fruit.

The apricots in these photos were from my trees in Ojai. Try growing some fruit trees in your own back yard to enjoy their beautiful foliage and fruits year after year.

Step-by-Step Guide:

Just make a tender almond shortbread crust and parbake it. Top with a thick apricot filling and raspberry jam. Cover with crumbs and bake until golden and lovely.

Enjoy!

Apricot Almond Shortbread Bars

(4 votes, average: 5.00 out of 5)
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5 from 4 reviews

Author: The Plant-Powered Dietitian
Total Time: 45 minutes
Yield: 12 servings
Diet: Vegan

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Description

Turn to summer’s finest fruit–apricots–to create these luscious, light in added sugar, easy to make Apricot Almond Shortbread Bars.

Ingredients

Crust & Crumb Topping Dough:

1 cup almond flour
1 cup whole wheat flour
1 cup all purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
½ cup brown sugar
¾ cup vegan butter sticks (i.e., Miyoko), chilled, sliced into chunks
2 tablespoons plant-based milk, plain, unsweetened (i.e., oat, soy, almond)
¼ cup slivered almonds

Apricot Filling:

¾ cup orange juice
2 tablespoons cornstarch
4 cups quartered, pitted, unpeeled fresh apricots (may also use canned, drained or frozen apricots)
½ cup raspberry jam or fruit spread

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Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 F.
With an electric mixer, mix almond flour, whole wheat flour, all-purpose flour, baking powder, and brown sugar.
Add chunks of vegan butter and mix with electric mixer until well combined; add the plant-based milk and mix to make a smooth dough (do not over mix).
Place a sheet of parchment paper into the bottom of a 9 x 13-inch baking dish.
Place the dough (reserving 1 cup for the crumb topping) into the parchment-lined baking dish and press to make an even crust at the bottom of the dish.
Bake in the oven for 20 minutes to par-bake the crust. Remove from the oven.
While the crust is baking, prepare the filling. In a large pot, mix orange juice and cornstarch with a whisk until smooth. Add the quartered apricots and place the pot on medium heat, cooking and stirring until mixture thickens (about 8 minutes).
Gently spread the apricot filling over the par-baked crust.
Spoon dollops of the raspberry jam or fruit spread over the apricot filling.
Mix the almonds into the remaining dough to make the crumb topping.
Sprinkle evenly over the fruit filling.
Place in the oven and bake until golden and firm (about 25-30 minutes).
Remove from the oven, allow to cool enough to slice (about 15 minutes), and slice into squares.
Makes 12 servings (1 square each).