Apricot Crumble Bar with an Almond Crust
Apricots are a stone fruit that are thought to derive from China and Central Asia, dating back to about 2-3,000 B.C. These drupes were introduced to Eurasian countries along the Great Silk Road by traveling merchants.* By the early 1700s, apricots were brought to the New World by Spanish missionaries,** as California totals 75% of U.S. apricot production today.† As the delicate yet floral flavor of apricots lends well to this crumble bar, the secret ingredient is almond extract, which infuses its signature nutty flavor into this flaky, buttery crust. Serve it with a cappuccino to cap off a lovely dinner or to jumpstart your day with a sweet treat for breakfast. Regardless of how you pair it, it's foolproof. You cannot go wrong!
Ingredients
- CRUST:
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- ½ cup powdered sugar
- ¼ t. + 1/8 t. sea salt
- 10 ½ T. cold unsalted butter
- 1 ½ egg yolks
- ¼ t. + 1/8 t. vanilla extract
- ¼ t. + 1/8 t. almond extract
- FILLING:
- 4 cups fresh apricots
- 3 T. unsalted butter
- 2 T. white granulated sugar
- 1/16 t. ground cinnamon
- CRUMBLE:
- ½ cup unsalted butter
- ½ cup brown sugar
- ¾ cup chopped pecans
- 1 cup Quaker Old-Fashioned Oats, not quick cooking
- ¾ cup all-purpose flour
- ½ t. ground cinnamon
- ¼ t. sea salt
Directions
- Step 1 Start by preheating your oven to 350° F and using a food processor or stand mixer to make the crust. Note: both can be used but a food processor is quicker. First, pulse the 3 cups flour, ½ cup powdered sugar, and 3/8 t. salt in your machine of choice. Second, cut the cold butter in chunks and add to your machine, pulsing until your mixture has the texture of sand. Third, pour the vanilla, yolks, and almond extract into your machine and run on the dough or regular function for 2 minutes or longer until the dough forms a solid ball. Fourth, grease the bottom and sides of a 9 x 13” Pyrex or other pan and spread the crust over the bottom, covering the entire surface.
- Step 2 Now, to make the filling, wash the apricots and cut them in half, so that you can extract the pits. Next, chop the apricots into wedges and set them aside in a large mixing bowl. Then, melt 3 T. butter in a 12” nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add the apricots with 1/16 t. cinnamon and stew for 9-10 minutes or until the apricots are cooked. Afterwards, spread the apricots in an even layer over the crust.
- Step 3 Finally, to make the topping, measure out the oats, flour, sugar, salt, and ½ t. cinnamon in a medium mixing bowl. Next, chop the pecans and add to the same mixing bowl. Then, take ½ cup, or 1 stick of butter, and use your fingers to break down the butter to form a crumble, as the dry ingredients adhere to the butter as a binder. Lastly, use your fingers to distribute the topping over the apricot filling. Bake for 45 minutes or so until the crumble is golden brown.
- Step 4 Note: you can substitute your berry of choice when apricots go out of seasons. Blackberries and raspberries would be my top choice since they pair well with this sensational dessert.
These apricot crumble bars are out-of-this-world, with a phenomenal pairing of sweet n’ sour apricots, a nutty almond crust, and a pecan topping that will have you pleading for more. This dessert is one of the reasons that I look forward to summer every year!
NUTRITONAL INFORMATION: serving size: 1 bar, servings per recipe: 9, calories: 570, total fat: 29.5 g., saturated fat: 10.7 g., cholesterol: 75 mg., sodium: 57 mg., total carbohydrate: 69.6 g., dietary fiber: 4.6 g., total sugars: 23.9 g., protein: 8.7 g., calcium: 40 mg., iron: 3 mg., potassium: 317 mg., vitamin D: 3 mcg.
SOURCES:
*Denker, Joel. “’Moon of the Faith:’ A History of the Apricot and Its Many Pleasures,” NPR: The Salt: What’s on Your Plate, 14 June 2016.
**Apricot, University of Nebraska Fact Sheet,” NEP, University of Nebraska, Lincoln Extension, last accessed 16 June 2022.
†”Apricots,” AgMRC, Ag Marketing Resource Center, last revised September 2021.