APRICOT PINWHEELS

Apricot Pinwheels image

Number Of Ingredients 16

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Ingredients

1 cup Chopped dried apricots
3/4 cup Water
1/2 cup Sugar
1 cup Finely chopped pecans
3 1/2 cups Flour, all-purpose, sifted
1/2 teaspoon Salt
1/2 teaspoon Baking soda
1/4 teaspoon Ground nutmeg
1/8 teaspoon Ground cloves
1 cup Shortening or butter
2 cups Light brown sugar, firmly packed
2 Eggs
1/4 cup Butter, softened
1/2 teaspoon Vanilla
1 cup Confectioner's (powdered) sugar, sifted
2 teaspoons Milk

Steps:

1. Combine apricots, water and sugar in a small saucepan. Bring to boiling; lower heat; simmer 10 minutes. Remove from heat; puree in container of electric blender. Cool; stir in nuts.
2. Sift flour, salt, baking soda, nutmeg, and cloves onto wax paper.
3. Beat shortening, sugar, and eggs in large bowl with electric mixer until fluffy-light. Stir in flour mixture until well blended. Wrap in plastic wrap or foil; refrigerate 2 hours or overnight.
4. Divide chilled dough in half. Roll out between sheets of lightly floured was paper to a 13X9 inch rectangle. (Moisten counter top with water to hold bottom sheet in place.) Lift onto a cookie sheet; place in refrigerator for 30 minutes.
5. Remove top sheet of wax paper. Spread dough with half the apricot filling to within 1/4 inch of the edges. Roll dough jelly roll style, from one of the long sides, lifting up dough with bottom sheet of wax paper to start rolling. Wrap roll in plastic wrap or foil; chill several hours or overnight. Repeat with remaining half of dough and filling.
6. Cut chilled dough in 1/4-inch thick slices. Place on lightly greased cookie sheets, 2 inches apart.
7. Bake in a moderate oven (350 degrees) for 10 minutes or until lightly browned. Cool on wire racks.
8. Spoon vanilla butter frosting (recipe below) into a pastry bag or cake decorating tube fitted with a small round tip. Pipe onto cookies, following the spiral shape.
9. Vanilla Butter Frosting: Beat softened butter, vanilla, confectioners sugar in a medium size bowl until smooth. Add 1-2 teaspoons of milk if mixture is too stiff to pipe. Makes 2 cups.