Apricot Cookies Recipe

These apricot cookies are made with a buttery dough folded around apricot preserves into half-moon shapes, then dusted with powdered sugar. They have a tender bite and a tart-sweet center. They take about 1 hour 35 minutes and make 4 dozen.

The dough needs a full hour in the fridge before you roll it. Cold dough is firmer, so it cuts and folds cleanly without tearing. Roll it to about 1/4 inch thick so the cookies bake evenly.

Use only a small drop of preserves in each circle. Too much and it leaks out the seam while the cookies bake. Brush the edges with water before folding so they seal shut, and dust the cookies with powdered sugar while they’re still hot.

Apricot Cookies Recipe

Author: Hamdi Saidani Cooking Method:Baking Cuisine:American Courses:Cookies Dessert

Difficulty:BeginnerPrep time: 25 minutesCook time: 10 minutesRest time:1 hour Total time:1 hour 33 minutesServings:48 servingsCalories:68 kcal Best Season:Summer

Description

These apricot cookies fold a buttery dough around a drop of apricot preserves into half-moons, baked golden and dusted with powdered sugar.

Ingredients

• 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
  
• 1 cup white sugar
  
• 3 cups all-purpose flour
  
• 1 large egg
  
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
  
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
  
• 1 cup apricot preserves
  
• 1/3 cup confectioners’ sugar, for decoration

Instructions

1. Cream the butter and sugar together in a medium bowl. Mix in the flour, egg, vanilla, baking powder, and salt until incorporated. Cover and refrigerate for 1 hour.
   
2. Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C).
   
3. Roll the dough out on a lightly floured surface to 1/4 inch thick. Cut it into circles with a round cookie cutter or a glass. Place a small drop of apricot preserves in the center of each circle. Brush the edges with water, fold the dough in half into a half-moon, and press to seal. Arrange the cookies on ungreased cookie sheets.
   
4. Bake until golden brown, 8 to 12 minutes. Transfer to wire racks to cool. Dust the hot cookies with powdered sugar.

FAQs

Why do I chill the dough first?

Chilling firms up the butter so the dough rolls out cleanly and holds its shape when you cut and fold it. Skip it and the dough turns sticky and tears at the seams. One hour in the fridge is enough.

How much apricot preserves goes in each cookie?

Just a small drop, about 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon. Any more and it leaks out the seam as the cookies bake. Apricot preserves also make the glaze for my Apricot Tart, if you end up with extra.

Why do I brush the edges with water?

The water works like glue so the folded edges seal shut. Without it, the half-moons pop open in the oven and the preserves spill onto the pan.

Should I dust the sugar while the cookies are hot or cool?

This recipe dusts them hot, which lets the sugar melt slightly into the surface. If you want a more visible powdery finish, dust them a second time once they’ve cooled.

Can I use a different filling instead of apricot?

Yes. Cranberry sauce works, or do half apricot and half cranberry. Raspberry or cherry preserves work too. If you want another apricot cookie, my Apricot Cream Cheese Thumbprints use the same preserves in a soft cream cheese dough.