Free and Easy Bake Along #15 : Apricot and Walnut Bars

Somehow my apricot bars look quite different from the original recipe here. I have a bad habit of not drafting my post after i bake something..this was written 2 weeks after i baked and also never realised that i've done a mistake here until now..i suspected i could have measured out my ingredients wrongly cos i've marked my flour as 94gms. It should hv only been 42gms instead. But these bars still can be eaten..infact i wouldnt say it's not delicious but it should have been much much better. Instead of  a bar, they look something like a type of crisp, firmer crisp. Yeah, at times i'm just that clumsy and disorganised. So let me just put down the original recipe here instead of what i actually put in in order not to mislead you. Now i'm eager to see how my other fellow bake buddies' apricot bars turned out.

This will be our last bake along for the year . Our next bake along on the 9th Jan, 2012 will be making brownies, you are welcomed to make any brownies you like. Lastly, i would like to wish all of my friends,  everyone Merry Christmas and Happy New Year ! Catch up with all of you when i come back next year. Enjoy the holidays! Bye!

Recipe ( original from Bon Appetit Book or here)
Shortbread Layer
1 cup unbleached all purpose flour
1/4 cup sugar
Pinch of salt
1/2 cup ( 1 stick) chilled unsalted butter, cut into 1/2 inch cubes

Apricot Layer
2/3 cup dried apricot halves, coarsely chopped
1/3 cup unbleached all purpose flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
2 large eggs
1 cup golden brown sugar
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 cup chopped toasted walnuts

Powdered sugar for dusting

Method:
Shortbread Layer: Preheat oven to 350F/177C. Spray 8x8x2 inch glass baking dish with nonstick spray or butter your baking dish. Blend flour, sugar and salt in a food processor. Add butter, using on/off turns ( pulse mode) process until coarse meal forms. Press crumbs firmly onto bottom of prepared dish. Bake until center is golden, about 25 minutes. Maintain oven temperature.

Apricot Layer :Meanwhile, place apricots in a small saucepan, add enough water to cover. Boil until soft, about 4 minutes, drain.Set aside and let cool.

Sift flour, baking powder and salt into small bowl. Using electric mixer, beat eggs in large bowl. Add brown sugar and vanilla, beat until blended. Stir in flour mixture, then nuts and apricots. Spread over shortbread.

Bake until puffed and dark brown and tester inserted into topping comes out with small moist crumbs attached, about 35 minutes. Cool in dish. Cut into bars, transfer to waxed papers. Sift powdered sugar over bars.