When we got back from our trip a few weeks ago, I was quick to head to one of my favorite produce stores and pick up some colorful, ripe treats. Amid the array of crunchy, fresh options at the market, the vibrant orange apricots persuasively magnetized me. Before I knew it, they were displayed in my fruit bowl alongside an accompaniment of other fresh fare.
But then something funny happened: July whizzed by in a blink. We’re always reminded of the slowness and ease of summertime, but in reality, it often feels just as full and lively as any season to me. My apricots got riper and riper over the days of July. They became more orange, increasingly fragrant, and quite soft. That’s when I decided to transform them into a tangy, herbal, sweet treat.
Herbal Apricot Bars (serves 9-16, depending on size of slices)
- 1.5 cups flour
- 2 tablespoons brown sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon finely minced fresh rosemary
- 1/2 cup cold unsalted butter
- 1-2 tablespoons cold water as needed
- 1 pound very ripe apricots
- 8 ounces cream cheese at room temperature
- 2 egg yolks
- 2/3 cup powdered sugar*
Preheat oven to 350 F. Lightly grease a 9 x 9″ pan, preferably glass. Sift the flour, brown sugar and salt into a bowl. Whisk in the rosemary evenly. Cut the butter into it, working it into the dough just until the consistency is even and dough holds together. It’s OK if it’s a little dry, but if it really doesn’t hold, add up to 2 tablespoons cold water gradually, being careful not to overmix it. Firmly push dough into the bottom and a little up the sides of the pan, then prick all over with a fork. Bake for 15 minutes, then let sit at room temperature for 5 minutes.
Meanwhile, rinse, dry, and pit the apricots. Puree them in a food processor with cream cheese and egg yolks until smooth. Sift the powdered sugar over the mixture and puree again until no traces of sugar are seen. Pour over crust. Bake for about 45 minutes, until top has a few brown spots and edges are light brown, and the center seems set. Surface will bubble and puff while baking; this is fine. Remove from oven, being careful to keep pan flat, and let cool completely (about 3 hours) before slicing, garnishing, and serving. Keep chilled; eat within 2 days.
With their intensely tangy apricot and cream cheese flavor, these bars are great for true apricot lovers who are open to a hint of fragrant rosemary. Not too sweet, yet full of rich flavor, they are delicious at room temperature or, better yet, chilled. They are great served with a generous dusting of powdered sugar and even a spring of fresh rosemary.
Maybe next time… *Feel free to adjust the amount of sugar according to the sweetness of your apricots, keeping in mind that they become tart-er as they cook. A bit of cornmeal in place of some flour would be an excellent addition to the crust of these bars; try replacing 1 or 2 tablespoons. A decadent dollop of fresh whipped cream is a wonderful topping on each and every slice, offering a creamy and neutral flavor to an otherwise powerful palate. The cream, or even a drizzle of custard or icing, could also make the bars a little bit prettier — always a welcome dessert feature!
butter, sugar, flowers 
Def Want to make these !
Quick q: can I use apricot from a can or preserves ? Apricots aren’t in season now
Hi Diana! Thanks for stopping by! I wouldn’t recommend using preserves, but frozen (defrosted & drained) or canned (not in syrup; drained) apricots would probably work fine. Let me know how it goes if you try it!
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I gotta say I especially love the creative way you use fruits and berries, brilliant!
Thanks so much, KirstiKoo!
Another beautiful, inventive, and delicious-looking creation from the Butter Sugar Flowers kitchen! You really do come up with such wonderful ideas – I’ve never had an apricot bar before, but sure do want one after looking at these lovely photos…
Erica, thank you so much for your always kind and encouraging words!
I love the color! And the apricot-rosemary combo sounds great. Do you think I’d be sorry if I used more rosemary?
Thanks so much, Emmy! Ever since the time I refer to as The Lavender Incident, I am pretty careful about not adding too much of any floral or herbal ingredient to sweets. In these bars, the rosemary is certainly recognized in this amount, but I imagine a smidgen more would be fine, too. But I bet your cooking wisdom and intuition are much more reliable for this kind of advice — you amaze me!
I agree with Cameron; these are lovely looking! I’m also really intrigued by the addition of rosemary, but I’m also a fan of sweet and savory things in one. I think I’ll have to wait until next summer to try these, though; I was sad to see that there were no apricots at the farmers’ market last weekend…unless they make a magical comeback? They’ve been my fruit of choice this summer, so I really hope they do!
Thank you so much, Katy! I definitely got the last of the apricots, then let them ripen extra long, making this an out-of-season post. A magical comeback would indeed be welcomed!
This is a welcome, creative twist on the lemon bar, Sugar. They look colorful and absolutely luscious!
Thank you as always, Robin! You’re the sweetest!
Wow! Those look gorgeous! I absolutely love seeing your creativity blossom in the kitchen! What magic you work!
Aww, thanks so much, Cameron. These words are extra meaningful coming from such a creative blogger, cook and photographer!