- Course: Desert
- Cuisine: American
- Prep time: 15 minutes
- Cook time: 30 minutes
- Total time: 45 minutes
INGREDIENTS:
MAKES 12
- 90g/3½oz/generous ⅓ cup soft light brown sugar
- 75g/3oz/⅔ cup plain (all-purpose) flour
- 75g/3oz/6 tablespoon cold unsalted (sweet) butter, cut in pieces
FOR THE TOPPING
- 150g/5oz/generous ½ cup ready-to-eat dried apricots
- 250ml/8fl oz/1 cup water
- Grated rind of 1 lemon
- 55g/2½oz/5 tablespoon caster (superfine)
- 10ml/2 tsp corn flour (cornstarch)
- 50g/2oz/½ cup chopped walnuts.
STEPS:
- Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F/Gas 4.
- In a bowl, combine the brown sugar and flour. With a pastry blender, cut in the butter until the mixture resembles coarse breadcrumbs.
- Transfer to a 20cm/8in square baking tin (pan) and press level. Bake for 15 minutes. Remove from the oven but leave the oven on.
- Meanwhile, for the topping, combine the apricots and water in a pan and simmer until soft, about 10 minutes. Strain the liquid and reserve. Chop the apricots.
- Return the apricots to the pan and add the lemon rind, caster sugar, corn flour and 60ml/4 tablespoon of the soaking liquid. Cook for 1 minute.
- Cook slightly before spreading the topping over the base. Sprinkle over the walnut and continue baking for 20 more minutes. Leave to cool in a tin before cutting into bars.