Delicious Oat-Apricot Crumb Bars Recipe
Recipe Redesign
Eatin' good ain't just about followin' a recipe, sometimes you gotta mix things up and make 'em your own. Take these dang-good Apricot Oat Bar Cookies, for instance. It's like a fruit bar and a crumble made a delicious ol' baby! Here's how to cook 'em up and serve 'em up at your next high tea party.
Recipe retested and updated by the Chowhound Kitchen in '13
Y'all Need:1. 10 ounces of dried apricots (around 2 cups)2. 3/4 cup of water3. 3 cups of rolled oats (not the instant kind)4. 1/3 cup of all-purpose flour5. 1/3 cup of whole-wheat flour6. 1 1/2 teaspoons of salt7. 1 stick (8 tablespoons) of unsalted butter8. 1/2 cup + 3 tablespoons of honey9. 1/2 cup of packed light brown sugar10. 1/3 cup of apricot jam11. 3/4 teaspoon of vanilla extract
Let's Make Some 'oodies:
- Crank up that oven to 350°F, stick a rack in the middle. Grab an 8x8-inch baking dish, slather some butter on it, and set it aside.
- Pop the apricots in a medium-sized heatproof bowl, then bring 3/4 cup of water to a boil in a small saucepan over high heat. Pour that hot water over the apricots and let 'em sit until they plump up and absorb most of the water (about 25 minutes). Don't forget to save the saucepan, dang it!
- While those apricots are chillin', let's make the crust! Toss the oats, both flours, and salt in a big ol' heatproof bowl and mix it together. Grab the saucepan you saved and pour in the measured butter, 1/2 cup of honey, and brown sugar. Bring it to a boil over medium-high heat and cook, occasionally stirring, for 5 minutes. Pour that boiling, honey-sugar mixture over the oat mixture and stir until the oats are well coated. Let it cool a tad so you can handle it, but keep it warm. Use a measuring cup to press half of the warmed oat mixture evenly into the prepared baking dish, nice and snug, set it aside.
- Using a slotted spoon, transfer the plump apricots to a food processor, discard any remaining liquid, and blend it until it's mostly smooth (but not too smooth, leave some chunks). Add 3 tablespoons of honey, the jam, and vanilla extract. Blend until mixed well.
- Spread the apricot mixture evenly over the oat base. Sprinkle the remaining oat mixture over the apricot filling, and gently press it in with your fingers.
- Bake until the top is golden brown, about 30-40 minutes (if you're using a glass or ceramic baking dish, it might take a bit longer). Once it's done, remove it to a wire rack and let it cool 1-2 hours before cuttin' it into squares.
Best served with some ice cream on top! You can find more tea party recipes at Chowhound. If you'd like to jazz it up for a fancy tea party, consider garnishing with fresh apricot slices, mint leaves, or serving it with a scoop of vanilla or caramel ice cream. Enjoy!
- The tangy apricots in the Apricot Oat Bar Cookies recipes are rehydrated by boiling water and absorbed most of the liquid after about 25 minutes.
- The Chowhound Kitchen has given credit to the Apricot Oat Bar Cookies recipe in 2013 by retesting and updating it.
- To make the recipe pop, you can jazz up the Apricot Oat Bar Cookies by garnishing them with fresh apricot slices, mint leaves, or serving them with a scoop of vanilla or caramel ice cream.
