Recipe: Apricot-Walnut Bars (taste like rugelach, using apricot preserves)

APRICOT-WALNUT BARS

"Taste like rugelach but easier to make."

FOR THE BASE:
1 1/3 cups all-purpose flour
2/3 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon ground 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
FOR THE TOPPING:
1/2 cup apricot preserves
3/4 cup chopped walnuts

Put oven rack in middle position and heat oven to 425 degrees F. Butter a 9-inch square baking pan and line with one sheet of foil, leaving a 2-inch overhang on two 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 3/4 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.

Makes 32 bars
Source: Gourmet magazine