Best Apricot Nut Cups Recipes

LITTLE NUT CUPS

Steps:

• In a medium bowl, mix together the butter, cream cheese and sugar until smooth. Stir in the flour and mix thoroughly. The dough should be somewhat firm. Roll into 36 small balls, place them on a plate and refrigerate for one hour.
• Make the filling in a medium bowl. Beat the eggs, melted butter, vanilla and brown sugar until smooth and well blended. Stir in the nuts. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Press the chilled dough balls into the bottom and up the sides of tart pans or mini muffin cups. Fill each shell with filling almost to the top. Use a squeeze top honey container if you have one, to drip about 1/2 teaspoon of honey onto the top of each cup.
• Bake for 15 to 20 minutes in the preheated oven, until crust is lightly browned. Allow to cool in the tins completely before removing.

APRICOT AND NUT COOKIES WITH AMARETTO ICING

Steps:

• For the Cookies: In a large bowl, beat the butter, sugar, vanilla, cinnamon, and salt with an electric mixer until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Beat in the egg. Stir in the flour until just blended. Mix in the apricots, almonds, and pine nuts.
• Transfer the dough to a sheet of plastic wrap and shape into a log, about 12-inches long and 1 1/2-inches in diameter. Wrap the dough in the plastic and refrigerate for 2 hours.
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line 2 heavy baking sheets with parchment paper.
• Cut the dough log crosswise into 1/4 to 1/2 inch-thick slices. Transfer the cookies to the prepared baking sheets, spacing evenly apart. Bake until the cookies are golden around the edges, about 15 minutes. Transfer the cookies to a wire rack to cool completely before icing.
• For the Icing: Place the confectioners' sugar in a medium mixing bowl. Gradually whisk in the almond flavored liqueur, until the mixture is of drizzling consistency.
• Place the wire rack over a baking sheet. Using a spoon or fork, drizzle the cookies with the icing, allowing any excess icing to drip onto the baking sheet. Allow the icing to set before serving, about 30 minutes.

APRICOT WALNUT BARS

Steps:

• Put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 425°F. Butter a 9-inch square baking pan and line with 1 sheet of foil, leaving a 2-inch overhang on 2 opposite sides, then butter foil.
• Pulse flour, sugar, cinnamon, and salt in a food processor until combined. Add butter and pulse until mixture resembles coarse meal with some roughly pea-size butter lumps. Add yolks and vanilla and pulse just until clumps of dough form, about 30 seconds.
• Press three fourths of dough evenly onto bottom of pan, then spread with apricot preserves. Crumble remaining dough over preserves and sprinkle evenly with walnuts.
• Bake until top is golden brown and preserves are bubbling, 20 to 25 minutes. Cool in pan on a rack. Lift from pan by grasping both ends of foil. Cut into 32 bars and lift bars off foil with a spatula.

APRICOT CRESCENTS

Steps:

• In a large bowl, cut butter into flour until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Beat egg yolk and sour cream; add to crumb mixture and mix well. Chill several hours or overnight. , Divide dough into fourths. On a sugared surface, roll each portion into a 10-in. circle. Turn dough over to sugar top side. Combine preserves, coconut and pecans; spread over circles. Cut each circle into 12 wedges and roll each wedge into a crescent shape, starting at the wide end. Sprinkle with sugar. , Place points down 1 in. apart on ungreased baking sheets. Bake at 350° for 15-17 minutes or until set and very lightly browned. Immediately remove to wire racks to cool.

WINNING APRICOT BARS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°. In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy, 5-7 minutes. Beat in egg and vanilla. In a small bowl, whisk flour and baking powder; gradually add to creamed mixture, mixing well. Fold in coconut and walnuts., Press two-thirds of dough onto the bottom of a greased 13x9-in. baking pan. Spread with preserves; crumble remaining dough over preserves. Bake 30-35 minutes or until golden brown. Cool completely in pan on a wire rack. Cut into bars.

LAYERED APRICOT NUT COOKIES

Steps:

• Separate egg yolks from egg whites setting aside both.
• Dissolve dry yeast in 1/4 cup warm water.
• Work together flour and butter with a pastry cutter until the mixture resembles course meal.
• Add egg yolks,yeast mixture and milk and mix well to combine (using your hands works best).
• Divide dough into 3 portions, one slightly larger for bottom crust.
• Cover& let sit in a draft free place to raise for 1/2 hour.
• Meanwhile mix 3/1/2 cups ground walnuts with 1 cup of sugar and 2 tsp cinnamon.
• Mix well and reserve 1/2 cup of the nut mixture for the topping.
• Roll out larger portion of dough to fit a 15 x 10 sheet pan with 1 inch sides.
• Place the dough in the bottom of the sheet pan and cover with the nut mixture.
• Roll second sheet of dough to a 15x 10 rectangle and place on top of the nut layer.
• Evenly spread 2 jars of apricot filling on the second layer of dough.
• Roll third crust and place on top of the apricot layer.
• Score the top layer of the dough into 1 1/2 inch squares.
• Bake 350°F for 35 minutes and let cool on baking rack.
• Meanwhile beat 4 egg whites with 1/2 cup of sugar until stiff peaks form.
• Add almond extract and combine well.
• Spread on top of cooled, baked crust being sure to spread to all edges of the pan to prevent shrinking a sweating of the meringue.
• Sprinkle with reserved nut mixture.
• Bake at 325°F for 15 minutes and let cool.
• Store covered in the refrigerator, slicing into squares before serving.

APRICOT AND WALNUT PHYLLO CUPS

Steps:

• Special Equipment: a 12-count mini muffin pan
• Place an oven rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 375 degrees F.
• In the bowl of a food processor, pulse together the apricots, walnuts, honey, 1 tablespoon orange zest, orange juice, and cardamom, until the apricots are in 1/4-inch pieces.
• Place a sheet of phyllo dough on a work surface. Brush the dough with melted butter. Place another sheet of dough on top and brush with melted butter. Repeat with remaining dough and melted butter. Using a sharp knife, trim the pastry into a 12 by 9-inch rectangle. Cut the dough into 12 (3-inch) square pieces. Gently press each piece of dough into the muffin pan. Spoon the apricot filling into the cups. Bake for 12 to 14 minutes until the pastry is golden. Remove from the oven and let the phyllo cups cool for 10 minutes. Using a dessert spoon or a small spatula, remove the phyllo cups from the pan. Place on a rack and cool completely.
• Arrange the phyllo cups on a platter, garnish with orange zest, if using, and serve. Or, store in an airtight plastic container for up to 4 days.