APRICOT WALNUT BARS

Apricot Walnut Bars image

Yield Makes 32 bars

Number Of Ingredients 9

1 1/3 cups all-purpose flour
2/3 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 sticks (3/4 cup) cold unsalted butter, cut into tablespoon pieces
2 large egg yolks
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 cup apricot preserves
3/4 cup chopped walnuts (3 oz)

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.