Cooking for a Crowd Recipes
Chewy Apricot Bars
Ingredients
Crumb Crust
- 3 pounds 6 ounces butter, softened
- 1 pound 14 ounces all-purpose flour
- 9 ounces walnuts, chopped
- 3 pounds brown sugar, firmly packed
- 1 pound 11 ounces old-fashioned or quick-cooking oats
- 6 ounces sweetened, flaked coconut
Filling
- 1 pound granulated sugar
- 1 (#10) can apricot halves, drained
- 2 tablespoons lemon peel, grated
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 4 ounces cornstarch
- 8 ounces apricot nectar
- 2 ounces butter
Instructions
Crumb Crust
- Heat oven to 350 degrees F.
- Cream together butter and sugar.
- Beat in flour and oats to form soft dough.
- Press 2/3 of dough evenly into three 12 x 17 inch sheet pans.
- Bake at 350 degrees F until golden brown, about 20 to 25 minutes.
- Stir nuts and coconut into remaining dough; set aside.
Filling
- Combine sugar and cornstarch in a large saucepan. Purée apricots; add to sugar mixture. Stir in nectar and lemon peel. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until mixture boils and thickens.
- Stir in butter and lemon juice. Cool slightly and spread over crust. Sprinkle reserved dough over filling.
- Bake at 350 degrees F until golden, about 25 minutes.
- Chill, then cut into squares.