Apricot Date Squares Food

APRICOT SQUARES

Steps:

• In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in egg and extract. Combine the flour, orange zest, baking powder and salt; gradually add to creamed mixture and mix well. Set aside one-third for the topping. , Press remaining dough into a greased 13x9-in. baking pan. Combine preserves, lemon juice and zest; spread evenly over crust. , Crumble reserved dough over filling. Bake at 350° for 40 minutes or until golden brown. Cool on a wire rack. Cut into squares.

FIRST PLACE APRICOT-DATE BARS

Steps:

• Place 1/2 cup of brown sugar into a saucepan along with the dates and apricots; pour in the apricot nectar. Bring to a simmer over medium heat, and cook, stirring constantly, until the nectar has mostly evaporated and the mixture is sticky, about 5 minutes. Set aside to cool.
• Preheat an oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Whisk together the flour, baking soda, and salt in a bowl; set aside. Grease a baking sheet.
• Stir the melted shortening and vanilla extract into 1 cup of brown sugar in a large bowl until no lumps remain. Stir in the flour mixture and oats; work well with your hands until the mixture is evenly combined. Press half of the oat mixture onto the prepared baking sheet. Spread the cooled apricot mixture evenly over the oats, then press the remaining oat mixture evenly over top.
• Bake in the preheated oven until the top is golden brown, about 30 minutes. Cool completely before cutting into bars and serving.

NUTTY OATMEAL APRICOT SQUARES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Spray bottom and sides of an 8-inch square baking dish with cooking spray.
• Pulse pecans in a food processor until coarsely chopped, 3 to 5 times. Add oats, flour, brown sugar, cinnamon, baking soda, and salt; pulse 3 to 4 times.
• Sprinkle butter cubes over the top of the flour-oat mixture. Pulse until butter is the size of small peas, 3 to 5 times.
• Spread 1/2 of oat mixture into the bottom of the prepared baking dish, pressing down lightly. Spread apricot preserves over oat mixture to 1/4-inch of the edge. Top with remaining oat mixture and press down lightly.
• Bake in preheated oven until golden brown, 35 to 40 minutes. Cool before cutting.

FIRST PLACE APRICOT-DATE BARS

Steps:

• 1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
• 2. For the crumb mixture, in a large bowl blend shortening, sugar and vanilla. Sift flour, soda, and salt and add to bowl. Add the oatmeal; work well with hands. Press 1/2 of the mixture onto a medium greased cooking sheet, pressing down firmly.
• 3. For the apricot filling, put the pitted dates, dried apricots, brown sugar, and apricot nectar in a sauce pan and cook for about 5 minutes until thick. Stir constantly as it can easily burn. The apricot nectar should evaporate while it cooks. Cool slightly (about 5 minutes) before spreading on crumb mixture. Once cool, spread apricot mixture on top of the crumb mixture. Top with the rest of the crumb mixture, pressing down firmly. Bake for 30 minutes or until top is brown. Cool before cutting and serving.

APRICOT-DATE BARS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
• Mix oats, flour, 1 cup brown sugar, baking soda, and salt together in a large bowl. Stir in butter until mixture is crumbly.
• Press a little over half of the crumbly mixture into the bottom of a 10x15-inch baking pan.
• Bake in the preheated oven until starting to brown, 10 to 15 minutes.
• Combine remaining 1/2 cup brown sugar, dates, apricots, and orange juice in a saucepan over medium heat. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cook and stir until thickened, breaking up any clumps, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in vanilla extract. Cool filling slightly, about 5 minutes.
• Drop spoonfuls of warm filling over the crust. Spread evenly with an offset spatula. Sprinkle remaining crumbly mixture evenly over the filling; press gently into the filling.
• Bake in the preheated oven until top is lightly browned, about 25 minutes. Cut into 1-1/4x2-inch bars with a pastry cutter while still hot. Cool bars in the pan, about 20 minutes.

APRICOT OAT BARS

Steps:

• Put an oven rack in the center of the oven. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Spray a 9 by 13 by 2-inch metal baking dish with vegetable oil cooking spray. Line the bottom and sides of the pan with parchment paper. Spray the parchment paper with vegetable oil cooking spray and set aside.
• Filling: In a small bowl, mix together the jam and the apricots. Set aside.
• Crust: In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, cinnamon, salt and baking soda. Stir in the oats and walnuts. Add the butter, egg and vanilla and stir until incorporated.
• Using a fork or clean fingers, lightly press half of the crust mixture onto the bottom of the prepared pan. Using a spatula, spread the filling over the crust leaving a 1/2-inch border around the edge of the pan. Cover the filling with the remaining crust mixture and gently press to flatten. Bake until light golden, about 30 to 35 minutes. Cool for 1 hour. Cut into bars and store in an airtight container for up to 3 days.

DATE OR APRICOT SQUARES

Steps:

• Heat oven to 350 degrees. Grease an 8-inch square baking pan (not necessary with nonstick pan).
• Combine butter, 1 cup flour and the granulated sugar in a food processor. Pulse until ingredients are pebbly and crumbly; mixture will be quite dry. Press into pan, and bake for 15 minutes or until shell is evenly cooked.
• If fruit is very dry, stew it in water to cover in a small saucepan until soft, 5 to 10 minutes. Drain very well, then chop. Combine in a bowl with eggs, brown sugar, remaining flour and salt.
• Remove pan from oven, and pour fruit batter over crust. Bake until lightly browned and firm on edges but still a little soft in middle, about 30 minutes. Cool, then cut into squares and serve. Store, covered and refrigerated, for up to 2 days.

APRICOT AND DATE BARS

Steps:

• In 2-quart saucepan, mix orange juice, dates, apricots and cherries. Heat to boiling over medium heat. Remove from heat; cover and let stand 30 minutes. Drain. In small bowl, mix dried fruit and apricot jam.
• Heat oven to 350°F. Spray 13x9-inch pan with cooking spray. In large bowl, place cookie mix and cinnamon-sugar packet. Cut in butter, using pastry blender (or pulling 2 table knives through mix in opposite directions), until mixture looks like coarse crumbs. Reserve 1 1/2 cups of the crumb mixture. Press remaining mixture in bottom of pan. Bake 10 minutes or until light golden brown. Cool.
• Top partially baked crust with fruit mixture. Mix reserved 1 1/2 cups crumb mixture and the pecans. Sprinkle over fruit mixture.
• Bake 25 to 30 minutes or until light golden brown. Cool completely in pan on cooling rack, about 1 hour. Cut into 6 rows by 4 rows.

APRICOT-COCONUT SQUARES

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C). In a medium bowl, mix together butter, sugar, and 1 cup flour. Press into the bottom of an ungreased 9x13 inch pan.
• Bake for 25 minutes in preheated oven. In small saucepan, bring apricots and water to a boil, and cook for 10 minutes. Drain, chop, and set aside to cool.
• In a medium bowl, beat eggs and brown sugar. Stir in 1/3 cup flour, baking powder, salt, vanilla, and lemon juice. Fold in nuts and chopped apricots. Stir in coconut, if desired. Pour over the prepared crust.
• Bake for an additional 20 minutes in the preheated oven, or until firm. Cool, and dust with confectioners' sugar before cutting into squares.

OATMEAL APRICOT SQUARES

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease an 8-inch square baking dish with cooking spray.
• Combine flour, oats, brown sugar, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl. Cut in butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs.
• Mix almond extract into the beaten egg and stir into the crumb mixture.
• Press half of the crumb mixture into the prepared baking dish and spread apricot preserves over it. Top with the remaining crumbs, and gently press down. Sprinkle almonds evenly over the top.
• Bake in the preheated oven until golden brown, about 30 minutes.
• Remove from oven, cool on a wire rack, and then cut into squares.

BEST DATE BARS

Steps:

• In a saucepan, combine dates, sugar and water. Cook, stirring frequently, until very thick. Stir in walnuts, if desired; cool. , Sift the flour, salt and baking soda together in a large bowl; add oats and brown sugar. Cut in butter until mixture is crumbly. Sprinkle water over mixture; stir lightly. Pat half into a greased 13x9-in. baking pan. Spread with date mixture; cover with remaining oat mixture and pat lightly. , Bake at 350° for 35-40 minutes or until lightly browned. Cool on a wire rack. Cut into bars.

OATMEAL APRICOT SQUARES

Steps:

• In a large bowl, combine the flour, oats, brown sugar, salt and baking soda. Cut in butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. , Press half of the mixture into a greased 8-in. square baking dish. Spread with preserves. Sprinkle with remaining oat mixture; gently press down. , Bake at 350° for 38-42 minutes or until golden brown. Cool on a wire rack. Cut into squares.

APRICOT CRUMB SQUARES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to fan 160C/ conventional 180C/gas 4 and butter a shallow 22cm square cake tin. Put all the topping ingredients in a food processor with 1⁄2 tsp salt and blend to make a sticky crumble.
• Using an electric hand whisk or wooden spoon, blend the cake ingredients, except milk and apricots, gradually adding enough milk to make a creamy mixture that drops from the spoon. Spread in the tin and scatter with apricots. Top with the crumble and press down.
• Bake for 45-50 minutes until golden and a skewer comes out clean. Cool in tin, cut into 16 squares and dust with icing sugar. (Keeps up to 5 days in a plastic container in the fridge.)

APRICOT SQUARES

Steps:

• Place the dried apricots into boiling water for 10 minutes; drain.
• Chop cooled apricots; set aside.
• Preheat oven to 350 degree F.
• Grease an 8-inch square baking pan.
• In a small bowl, mix together butter, granulated sugar, and 1 cup flour.
• Press this mixture into prepared pan.
• Bake 25 minutes; set aside.
• In a small bowl, beat together eggs and brown sugar.
• Fold in 1/3 cup flour, baking powder, and salt; mix till combined.
• Stir in vanilla, chopped apricots, and nuts.
• Spread evenly over top of baked layer.
• Bake 30 to 40 minutes.
• Remove from oven and cool on wire rack.
• Sprinkle with confectioner's sugar.
• Cut into squares.

DATE & APPLE SQUARES

Steps:

• Heat oven to 190C/170C fan/gas 5. Grease an 18cm square tin and line with baking parchment.
• Tip the apples into a pan with 2 tbsp water. Bring to the boil and simmer on a low heat for 5 mins until tender and slightly pulpy. Add the dates and 50g of the sugar, and cook for a further 5 mins. Take off the heat and break the apples down with the back of a spoon until smooth and well mixed with the dates. Set aside.
• Gently melt the butter in a saucepan. Mix the flour, bicarb, oats and remaining sugar in a bowl. Pour in the melted butter and stir well until oats are coated.
• Press half the mixture firmly into the tin, spread the apple mix on top and smooth over. Cover with the remaining oat mixture and press down. Bake for 30-35 mins until golden and firm. Cool in the tin before cutting into squares.