Mom's apricot bars

A few years ago when my mom turned 70, I asked her to put together a cookbook of her classic recipes as a surprise to our family. It was a project we worked on together, and after a few months and a couple secret meetings, I sent the final document to my college's print shop and mailed off this treasure trove of recipes to a delighted audience. It was so fun collecting all these recipes together, hearing the stories that went along with them, and finding photos from our albums that celebrated moments in the kitchen and around the table - an experience I'll always be grateful to have shared with my mom.

We organized the cookbook by era and/or kitchen, starting with recipes she remembered her mom and dad making when she was growing up in Chicago, and ending with the ones she's added to her repertoire since cooking in her current kitchen in Boise. This recipe for apricot bars is in the section pertaining to my family's days in Glen Ellyn, Illinois, i.e, the late 1960s to mid 1970s.

What makes this an extra special bar cookie is the crisp layer of meringue on top. I remember meringue desserts on the table quite often as a kid (thanks, in part, to my dad's love of lemon meringue pie), so this feels good to my soul.

Apricot Bars

for the base

1 c. butter, room temperature

1/2 c. sugar

1/2 tsp. vanilla

2 c. sifted flour

for the topping

12 oz. apricot jam

2 egg whites

1 c. powdered sugar (or scant 1/2 c. regular sugar, which is what I did in this case)

1/2 tsp. almond extract

1/3 c. sliced almonds

Preheat oven to 375. Make the base layer by creaming together the butter, sugar and vanilla at medium speed. Add the flour and work slowly until evenly combined. The mixture may be crumbly, but it should hold together when pressed. Spread the dough in a 9x13 pan (ungreased) and bake 10-15 minutes, until lightly golden. Let cool.

After the crust has cooled a bit, spread the apricot jam across the top (I find it's easier to do this when the jam is room temperature and the crust is still warm). 

Make a meringue by beating the egg whites until soft peaks form; add the almond extract and slowly add the sugar. Beat until stiff peaks form. Carefully spread the meringue over the jam layer. Sprinkle with almond slices. Bake 12-15 minutes, until the meringue is lightly browned.

Cut into squares and serve with tea.