After all the rich Christmas food it may be time to lighten up the menu. This recipe does just that, Apricot Jam Shortbread. It is still a little rich. Though small servings are enough to satisfy the appetite.
This is a very easy to make recipe. Just cream the butter and sugar and add the remaining shortbread ingredients. Then divide the mixture in two equal parts. Half is used to form the base.
Then bake the base.
Jam is spread over the cooled base. Then you simply cover that with more dough.
Pop it in the oven to bake the shortbread.
Cool it and then slice into wedges, or bars.
My Bake
My shortbread baked very well. I allowed it to bake for 30 minutes. The shortbread took on a lovely golden colour.
Once the shortbread cooled I cut it into wedges. I only cut small wedges. However cut larger wedges to serve as dessert.
Raspberry Crumble Cookies is a similar recipe.
Apricot Jam Shortbread Wedges or Bars
Course: Biscuits & Cookies, DessertsCuisine: BritishDifficulty: Easy12
servings20
minutes40
minutesIngredients
230g(1 2/3 cups minus 2 tbsp, based on scooping packed flour into a 250ml cup) plain flour
80g(3/4 cup) ground almonds
227g(2 sticks) softened unsalted butter
200g(1 cup) caster sugar
5ml(1 tsp) vanilla extract
3g (1/2 tsp) salt
240g(12 tbsp) apricot jam
Directions
- Preheat the oven to 160C/140C Fan/325F.
- Cream the butter with the sugar, until light and fluffy, adding the vanilla extract as you do so.
- Mix the ground almonds and salt into the flour.
- Add the dry ingredients into the butter and mix together until it has formed clumps and now powdery mix can be seen.
- Divide the dough into two equal parts.
- Wrap one part in plastic wrap and chill in the fridge.
- Place the remaining part into a 9inch/23cm round pan, with a loose bottom(or an 8 inch/20 cm square pan). If using a pan without a removable base line the pan with parchment paper to aid removal.
- Press the dough flat across the base to cover entirely. Try to make sure it is level.
- Prick all over the surface with a fork and bake in the oven for about 12 minutes, until the edges colour a little.
- Remove the pan from the oven and allow it to cool for at least 10 minutes.
- Spread the jam, gently and evenly, over the surface leaving a rim around the edge not covered.
- Take the remaining dough from the fridge and sprinkle in clumps over the jam and around the edge, ensuring there is enough around the edge to sink down and form a seal.
- Bake in the oven for 25 to 35 minutes.
- When the shortbread has coloured a nice golden colour remove it from the oven and allow it to cool completely before removing from the pan and cutting into wedges or bars.
okay, so now I have ‘toaster oven envy’ Geoff. I looked at the Brevilles…. I want one.
As soon as I find out how long my oven will take to fix ….I may have to go shopping.
Good morning from Calgary, Canada Geoff…. still in a deep freezer here t -25C.. I’m just stopping by to say Happy New Year and to let you know how much I enjoy coming to your blog and/or watching you on your Youtube videos..
All your bakes that I’ve tried have turned out well, and I still have my “Geoff’s To Do List” … I’ll never catch up to you!
And, now… my oven is not working and hasn’t been for two weeks! I’ll fall well behind.
No word on when I’ll be back in action or when the new “relay” for my oven will show up , .. but, in the meantime I’ll have to settle for baking small things in my little Black and Decker toaster oven… which of course, takes a bit longer and doesn’t get quite as brown…but, hey… things do eventually become ‘baked’ so I’m not totally out of action…..
Yesterday I made some fruit muffins…
Happy New Year Geoff…
looking forward to more of your bakes in 2022 …. here’s to a Happy, Healthy year for us all.
Veronica
Hi Veronika. I don’t envy you in your freezer. LOL. My sister in Ottawa has had freezing rain over the past few days too. I hope your oven gets fixed soon, so you can get on with some baking. I have a toaster oven which I use sometimes.
It is basically the same as the Breville Smart Oven Pro, which is what my sister uses for most of her baking, which works very well indeed. So when your B&D is ready to be replaced you might look at that.
This looks glorious and such a wonderful idea to combine shortbread with a crumble topping.💫 As Veronica mentions, I also have a Geoff’s ‘to do list’ this is now at the top as it is definitely a good alternative to the rich desserts my family have eaten over Christmas! 🎄🤶 Comforting to accompany a nice pot of tea or I’m sure amazing with a drizzle of fresh cream as a dessert. Can’t wait to make and may even embark on doing so tomorrow! 👩🏻🍳😋. Happy New Year and thank you for sharing what I imagine will be an amazing buttery treat! Look forward to your next recipe!
HI Deborah. Happy New Year to you too. I hope you enjoy this recipe when you try it.