Rosemary Apricot Bars

It’s officially summer! Name a better way then celebrating spending the day outside, drink in one hand and dessert in the other.

…I’m waiting

Exactly.

Although chocolate is like, the greatest thing ever, sometimes on those hot summer days, I don’t want something so dense and heavy. I want something “light”. I put that in quotations because let’s be real, dessert isn’t necessarily the lightest of the food groups. Needless to say I created a bar that not only contains fruit but also some fresh summer herbs.

Does anyone else feel like as soon as nice weather hits they start using an over abundance of fresh herbs in everything? Just me?

I personally love the combination of fruit and herbs. It’s gives you something unexpected. Nobody expects there’s gonna be rosemary in a shortbread crust of a fruit bar, but there pleasantly surprised. The best kind of surprised.

Here’s what you’ll need:

For the rosemary shortbread dough:
3 1/2 cups flour
1 tsp salt
4 tsp fresh rosemary, minced
12 oz butter, soft
1 cup powdered sugar, sifted
1 1/2 tsp vanilla

Apricot Filling:
17 oz dried apricots (soak in water to hydrate)
1 cup sugar
3 oz honey
4 Tbsp brandy
Pinch of salt

Crumb Topping:
1 cup flour
1 cup brown sugar
2/3 cup oats
6 Tbsp butter, cold and cubed

1. Soak dried apricots in water to hydrate, about two hours. (Don’t let it go too long or overnight as they will absorb too much water and make crumb topping soggy.)
2. Preheat oven to 350 F and evenly coat a 1/2 sheet pan with cooking spray.
3. In mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, cream together butter, powdered sugar and vanilla. Sift together flour and salt and slowly add to butter mixture. Add minced rosemary and mix just until evenly combined.
4. Press shortbread dough into prepared baking sheet. Chill dough until firm.
5. Meanwhile, drain apricots, just reserving a small amount of water (about 1/8 cup). Blend apricots in food processor adding only a little liquid if necessary, you may not need the whole 1/8 cup, if any at all. Note, mixture will not be completely smooth.
6. Combine apricots, sugar, honey, brandy, and salt in a small pot and heat until sugar is fully dissolved.
7. Pull chilled crust and dock (poke holes in, I use a fork). Bake until light golden brown.
8. While crust is baking make crumb topping. Combine flour, brown sugar and oats in mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. Add butter and mix until the butter has broken up into fine pieces.
9. Remove baked crust from oven and spread apricot mixture on top. Top with crumb topping.
10. Bake until crumb topping is golden brown.
11. Let cool completely and store in refrigerator until ready to serve. Dust with powdered sugar.