Passover Apricot Bars

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Because the Passover Mandelbrot recipe was such a hit, I decided to try another Passover treat from the same cookbook. And since we already had so many chocolate desserts, I was happy to find this apricot one. (If you don’t like apricot, substitute with any flavor preserves.)

The bar has a buttery cookie base with a chewy fruit center and crumbly top. It got rave reviews at the seder, and I think it will definitely become part of the Passover dessert rotation for years to come.

Ingredients
1/2 pound (2 sticks) unsalted nondairy margarine or butter, at room temperature plus extra for greasing the baking pan
1 cup sugar
Yolks of 2 large eggs
2 teaspoons grated lemon zest
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 cups matzoh cake meal
1 jar (12 ounces) apricot preserves
3/4 cup chopped walnuts

Preparation

1. Preheat the oven to 325 F. Grease a 13 x 9-inch glass (I used aluminum) baking pan.
2. Cream the margarine (or butter) and sugar with an electric mixer on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add the egg yolks and continue beating until well combined, scraping the bowl as necessary. Then add the lemon zest, vanilla, and salt. Reduce the speed to medium-low and add the cake meal, beating until combined.
3. Press about two-thirds of the mixture over the bottom of the prepared baking pan and bake on the center oven rack for 20 minutes. Remove the pan from the oven and spread the preserves evenly over the crust. Sprinkle the walnuts over the preserves, and crumble the remaining dough over the top. Bake until the topping feels set and is beginning to turn golden, 30-35 minutes (mine was done in about 20). (Check the bottoms. They should be just beginning to turn golden too.) Cool in the baking pan set on a wire rack. Then cut into squares and serve.

Recipe adapted from Cooking Jewish.

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