Apricot Pistachio Shortbread Recipes

APRICOT PISTACHIO SQUARES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 180°C and line the base and sides of a 20cm square baking tin.
• In a food processor, combine the flour, salt and sugar. Add the chunks of butter and process until it forms large clumps - may a minute or so. Press the dough firmly and evenly into your baking tin with floured fingers. Bake for 15 minutes or until very pale golden.
• In your food processor (don't bother washing it out), grind the pistachios, flour, salt, and sugar to a powder (or as fine as you can make it!). Add the butter and process until no longer visible. Add egg and vanilla, blending until it forms a smooth paste.
• Spread the filling over the cooked base. To decorate like I have in the photos, cut the apricots into diagonal strips, then slide each half onto a knife and fan over the pistachio frangipane. Alternatively, you could put the halves straight on or cut the apricots into slices and decorate as you wish.
• Bake the slice for 50 minutes, or until they are golden and a skewer inserted into the pistachio comes out clean. Leave in pan to cool.
• Dust with icing sugar to decorate and cut into squares. I couldn't wait for them to cool and cut them while still warm - and they were amazing - but Deb recommends to rest them in the fridge to cool completely before cutting.
• Keep left over slice in the fridge.

APRICOT AND PISTACHIO SHORTBREAD COOKIES

Steps:

• Measure your flour into a bowl and whisk to aerate the flour and remove any lumps.
• In a large mixing bowl of the bowl of a stand mixer combine the butter, brown sugar, salt, almond extract and vanilla extract. Mix on low until ingredients are roughly combined then increase mixer speed to medium and beat until mixture is lighter in color and fluffy, about 2 minutes.
• Add the flour all at once and mix on low speed until the flour is well combined and the dough has started to come together about 3 minutes. The cookie dough will have a crumbly texture in the beginning and then it will come together into a smooth dough. Add the chopped pistachios and dried apricots and mix on low speed until well combined, about 30 seconds.
• Turn the cookie dough out onto a lightly floured surface. You can turn it out onto a large piece of parchment paper or Silpat. Use your hands to shape the dough into a large ball and then divide it in half. Each half should weigh about 350 grams. Shape each half into a log about 6 inches long and 2 inches thick. Wrap each log in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 2 hours.
• Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper or Silpat.
• Using a sharp knife to slice the ends of the cookie logs to even out the ends. Slice each log into 1/4-inch rounds and place each slice on a cookie sheet about 1-inch apart. These cookies don't spread much. Bake for 22-25 minutes. Remove the cookies and allow to cool.
• Store the cookies in an airtight container.

APRICOT-PISTACHIO SHORTBREAD

Steps:

• In large bowl, beat butter and powdered sugar with electric mixer on medium speed about 30 seconds or until smooth. On low speed, beat in almond extract, flour and salt until soft dough forms. Stir in apricots and nuts. Shape dough into a ball. Wrap in plastic wrap; refrigerate 45 minutes.
• Heat oven to 350°F. On lightly floured surface, roll dough to about 1/4-inch thickness. With floured 2 1/2-inch square or round cookie cutter, cut dough into 25 squares or rounds. On ungreased cookie sheet, place squares about 1 inch apart.
• Bake 13 to 15 minutes or until light golden brown. Remove from cookie sheet to cooling rack.

APRICOT SHORTBREAD

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 325 degrees, with rack in center. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Place butter, confectioners' sugar, vanilla, flour, and salt in large mixing bowl. Stir well with a wooden spoon until mixture is combined but not too creamy. Stir in dried apricots. Turn out dough onto a piece of plastic wrap, and pat to flatten into a disk. Place in refrigerator 1 hour.
• Transfer dough to a lightly floured sheet of parchment paper, and roll out to 1/4 inch thick. If dough starts to get too soft, place in the freezer or refrigerator a few minutes. Cut out shapes, as desired, and place on prepared baking sheet about 1 inch apart. Bake until golden, 12 to 15 minutes, rotating baking sheet halfway through. Remove from oven, and transfer cookies to a wire rack to cool. Cookies will keep up to 5 days at room temperature in an airtight container.

ICEBOX SHORTBREAD

Steps:

• With an electric mixer, beat butter, sugar, vanilla, and salt until smooth. With mixer on low speed, add flour, mixing just until a dough forms. Stir in desired mix-ins.
• Divide dough in half; place each half on a piece of floured waxed or parchment paper. With floured hands, gently roll each into a 1 1/2-inch-diameter log. Dividing evenly, sprinkle logs with desired coating if using, rolling log (to help coating adhere) and pressing in gently. Wrap logs tightly in the paper, and refrigerate until firm, 1 to 1 1/2 hours. (To store longer, wrap log and paper tightly with plastic wrap.)
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Unwrap logs; with a serrated knife, slice dough 3/8 inch thick (if dough crumbles, leave at room temperature 5 to 10 minutes). Arrange slices, about 1 inch apart, on baking sheets.
• Bake until lightly golden around the edges, 15 to 20 minutes. Cool on baking sheets 1 to 2 minutes; transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

PISTACHIO-SHORTBREAD CRUST

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Pulse cookies in a food processor until crumbs form. (You should have 1 cup.) Process with pistachios, sugar, and salt, until fine crumbs form. Add butter, and process until mixture holds together.
• Press crumb mixture evenly into bottom and up sides of a 9-inch fluted tart pan with a removable bottom. Refrigerate for 15 minutes. Bake until golden brown, 17 to 20 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack, and let cool.

PISTACHIO SHORTBREAD

Steps:

• In the bowl of a food processor, grind pistachios until fine but not powdery. Divide ground pistachios equally between sanding sugar and flour; set aside.
• In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream butter and sugar on medium speed until fluffy, 3 to 4 minutes. Add vanilla and salt, and beat for 1 minute. Add yolks one at a time, and beat until evenly combined. Add flour and pistachio mixture, and mix until just combined. Remove dough, and form into a 4-by-6-inch rectangle; wrap in plastic, and chill for 1 hour.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line two baking sheets with Silpats (French nonstick baking mats) or parchment paper, and set aside. On a lightly floured surface, roll out dough to a 1/8-inch thickness. Brush dough with the egg white to moisten. Cover evenly with pistachio-sanding-sugar mixture. Lightly press mixture into dough with the rolling pin. Using a 1 1/2-inch fluted square cookie cutter, cut cookies as close as possible to avoid waste. Place on prepared baking sheets.
• Bake until edges are just lightly golden, about 18 minutes. Transfer cookies to a cooling rack. Store in an airtight container for up to 1 week.

APRICOT SHORTBREAD

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°F.
• Shortbread: In medium bowl, with mixer, beat butter& sugar till light& fluffy.
• Add in flour.
• Pat mixture into an 8 by 8" pan.
• Bake 12 minutes or till light golden in color.
• Cool completely on a wire rack.
• Filling: Place apricots in a small saucepan& add just enough water to cover.
• Bring to boiling.
• Reduce heat and simmer, covered, for 15 minutes. Watch carefully & add a bit more water if needed.
• Drain apricots, reserving 3 T liquid.
• Chop apricots finely.
• Combine in saucepan with reserved liquid, lemon peel, sugar,& cornstarch.
• Bring to boil and boil for 1 minute, stirring.
• Let filling cool 10 minutes& spread over shortbread crust.
• Spread with nuts, if desired.
• Bake 20 minuts.
• Cool completely on wire rack.
• Cut into bars.