Best Apricot Almond Shortbreads Recipes

Apricot Almond Shortbread Bars image

Provided by Hey Jude

Categories Bar Cookie

Time 1h25m

Yield 50 bars

Number Of Ingredients 8

1 1/2 cups butter, softened
2 cups sugar
2 large egg yolks
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon almond extract
4 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/3 cups blanched almonds, toasted and chopped fine (to toast almonds, bake in preheated 350 oven 10 minutes, cool.)
1 (10 ounce) jar apricot preserves

Steps:

Preheat oven to 350°.
Beat butter and sugar in mixer bowl until fluffy.
Beat in egg yolks and vanilla and almond extracts.
Mix in flour and toasted almonds until the mixture forms a soft dough.
Divide dough in half.
Press one half into 15x10-inch jellyroll pan.
Spread evenly with preserves.
Cover completely with remaining dough (flatten pieces with hands and carefully patch on top of preserve layer).
Bake 45 minutes, or until golden brown.
Cut into 3x1-inch bars.
Can be made ahead.
Wrap and freeze up to 1 month.
Thaw wrapped at room temperature.

Apricot Almond Shortbreads image

Yield Makes 36 desserts

Number Of Ingredients 10

For apricot purée
3/4 cup dried apricots (about 4 ounces)
1 cup water
1/4 cup granulated sugar
For brandied cream
2 tablespoons apricot brandy
2 tablespoons superfine sugar
1/2 cup well-chilled heavy cream, whipped into soft peaks
36 Almond Shortbread Shells
Garnish: 1/4 cup sliced almonds, toasted

Steps:

Make purée:
In a small heavy saucepan simmer purée ingredients, covered, 10 minutes. In a food processor purée mixture until smooth. Purée may be make 1 week ahead and chilled, covered.
Make brandied cream:
In a small bowl fold brandy and sugar into whipped cream and chill, covered.
Transfer purée and brandied cream to separate pastry bags fitted with 1/4-inch star tips. Pipe cream into shells until level with tops and pipe a 1/2-inch-high mound of purée on top.
Sprinkle desserts with confectioners' sugar and garnish with almonds.

Apricot Almond Shortbread Shells image

Yield Makes 36 shortbread shells

Number Of Ingredients 7

1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup confectioners' sugar
1/3 cup cornstarch
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup blanched whole almonds, toasted and ground fine
2 sticks (1 cup) cold unsalted butter, cut into bits
1 teaspoon almond extract

Steps:

Preheat oven to 350°F. and butter 36 mini-muffin cups.
Into a bowl sift together flour, confectioners' sugar, cornstarch, and salt. In a food processor pulse mixture with almonds until combined well. Add butter and almond extract and blend until a dough just forms, about 1 minute.
On a lightly floured surface with floured hands form dough into thirty-six 1-inch balls. Press balls lightly into cups and bake in middle of oven until pale golden, about 15 minutes. Cool shortbreads in cups on racks 2 minutes and with a 3/4-inch melon-ball cutter carefully scoop out an indentation about 1/4 inch deep in centers. Cool shells completely. Gently loosen sides of shells with a thin knife and carefully remove from cups (shells will be very fragile). Shells may be make 3 days ahead and kept in am airtight container at room temperature.