Apricot-rye bars

Thank You, Angie!

Recipe adapted from Angie's Recipes
time:  2 hrs to soak apricots + 20 min preparation + 40 min baking + 20 min cooling

ingredients

• 200 g (7 oz) dry apricots
• 1/2 cup raspberry jam
• 120 g (1 stick) butter, room temperature
• 50 g (1/4 cup) brown sugar
• 1 egg
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• grated zest from 1 lemon
• 120 g (1 cup)  whole rye flour
• 20 g (3 Tablespoons) corn starch
• 1 g (1/4 teaspoon) baking powder
• 2 g (1/4 teaspoon) fine salt
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon powder
• 40 g (1-2 oz) almond flakes

instructions

1. Soak apricots in warm water for 2 hours. Drain, without squeezing. 
2. Preheat oven to 180C/350F (fan forced function). Butter and line with parchment paper your baking form (one of the small ones). 
3. In a food processor, blend apricots till creamy. Add half of the lemon zest. Stir in raspberry jam. In a bowl, sift together flour, baking powder, corn starch and salt. 
4. Beat butter with sugar till fluffy. Add one egg, vanilla and the rest of lemon zest. Beat for another moment. Add sifted flour mix, cinnamon and almonds (leave a couple of pieces for the finishing). With a rubber spatula, gently combine all the ingredients. 
5. Spread most of the batter in the baking form. Apply apricots, drop the rest of batter on top, together with some almond flakes.

notes

• I think bars are like tarts, but with less fruit load; these bars are full of fruit;
• I had all these dry/hard/cheap apricots that I shouldn't have bought; boom! gone!
• the dessert is delicious, perfect to finish off my breakfast;
• it is not too sweet and it's...small; it's not getting old by tomorrow;
• the original recipe had buckwheat flour and it was gluten-free;
• I used a 20x24cm (8x10inch) glass baking dish;
• Angie's site is full of original desserts, beautiful pictures and lots of hard work.