Apricot-Walnut Bars and Happy "MasterChef" Christmas

I think that I have been NICE this year... LOL

Or maybe it is Kris Kringle that have been very kind and generous to me this year...

I've received lots of thoughtful gifts this Kris Kringle. Amongst all, I was awarded with a "Masterchef 2011" badge... I felt embarrassed but honoured receiving the badge and wore it for the rest of the day. "See! Mummy is a Masterchef!"... I was showing off my recognition to my husband and son after work with lots of pride and joy.

Now, this is what a "Masterchef mummy" had baked...

These apricot-walnut bars are superb! My son doesn't like to eat plain dried apricot but was chomping up these bars without any second thoughts and not surprisingly, they were gone very quickly. Being enriched with brown sugar, the bars have a great toffee taste with lots of apricot and walnuts embedded inside. For my "cosmetic" purpose, I've given the bars an extra glow by brushing warmed apricot jam onto them...they look very yummy and taste very yummy too!

I'm baking these bars for our bake-along with Lena from Frozen wings and Joyce from Kitchen Flavours. For our next bake-along, we will baking Brownies, which is to be posted on 9 Jan 2012. If you have any favorite brownies recipe to bake and share, please bake-along with us on this date.

Here are the giifts from KK!

I've brushed warmed apricot jam on the top of the bars...I think I've given a very yummy look! LOL

One last close up look of the bars....made by a "Masterchef mummy"! Thanks KK!

Here's the recipe from the book, Bon Appetit by Barbara Fairchild
(with my modification in blue)

Make 1 1/2 dozen

Shortbread Layer:
Non-stick vegetable oil spray
1 cup unbleached all purpose flour
1/4 cup sugar
pinch of salt
1/2 cup (1 stick) chilled unsalted butter, cut into cubes

Apricot Layer:
2/3 cup (packed) 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 (packed) golden brown sugar
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 cup toasted walnuts (pre-toasted in 160°C fan forced for 8-10 min)

Powdered sugar

Shortbread Layer:
Preheat oven to 350°F. Spray 8x8x2 inch glass baking dish with non-stick spray. Blend flour, sugar and salt in processor. Add butter; using on/off turns, process until coarse meal forms. Press crumbs firmly onto bottom of prepared dish. Bake until center is golden, about 25 min. maintain oven temperature.

Apricot Layer:
Meanwhile, place apricots in small saucepan; add enough water to cover. Boil until soft, about 4 min; drain. Set aside and 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 with small moist crumbs attached, about 35 min. Cool in dish.

Cut into bars. Transfer to waxed paper. Sift powdered sugar over bars (I didn't do that).

Note:
Using half of the recipe, I've baked these bars in 10cm x 20cm baking pan at 160°C (fan forced) for 35 min. After cooling, I've glazed the bars with warmed apricot jam (low sugar one from Weight watchers).

for 2012 and more...

Happy Baking
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Please note that the linky tool for bake-along is no longer available.