During my stay in Mexico I was able to indulge in one of my favorite activities, cooking with my mom. It brings back so many memories of me growing up… hovering over the kitchen counter, trying to catch a glimpse of what she was doing and help her {I hoped!} in any way. I would take up any chore she would give me: stirring, cleaning, measuring… Eventually, I graduated and was in charge of desserts!
Cookies, meringues, and fresh fruit desserts were my specialties! I later became more ambitious and worked my way through pies, cakes, and other simple pastries. I really enjoyed making shortbread based cookies for their versatility and simplicity. It was so much fun experimenting and coming up with new flavor combinations!
That summer day we made one of my mom’s favorite peach and apricot shortbread squares. They have walnuts which add a great earthy flavor and crunch, great for tea time!
Peach & Apricot shortbread squares
~Recipe adapted from my mom’s old Good Housekeeping cookbook~
Yields : 32 cookies
| Ingredients | Instructions |
| SHORTBREAD: 1 c butter, slightly softened 2 c flour 1/2 c sugar a pinch of salt ~ TOPPING: 1/3 c dried peaches 1 1/3 c dried apricots 1 c walnuts 2/3 c flour 2 c lightly packed brown sugar 4 eggs 1 tsp baking powder 1 tsp vanilla pinch of salt |
Preaheat oven to 350°F In a bowl combine flour, sugar and salt. With your hand mix the butter into the flour mixture until well combined, thick & crumbly. Place mixture onto a greased baking sheet and pat to form an even layer. Bake until golden, about 25 min. TOPPING: Meanwhile, place dried peaches and apricots to a pot or bowl and add enough boiling water to cover them. Let stand for 15 min, then drain and finely chop them. In a bowl combine the chopped fruit, walnuts, flour and brown sugar. Mix and add the rest of the ingredients. Make sure everything is thoroughly mixed. Pour the mixture over the baked shortbread layer and return to the oven. Bake for another 25 minutes or until golden. Once its done, remove from the oven and cool on the pan and cut into squares {for best results cut into squares before it reaches room temperature}. |
Sprinkle some confectioners’ sugar and enjoy!
Thanks for reading!
Kitchen Nani 
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