This apricot shortbread is a perfect dessert with buttery, rich and crispy crust and topping and the zesty apricot center is so decadent that it will have your guests asking for the recipe.
This recipe is not one of your standard square or bar recipes, this dessert is one that is unique in how it is made. The technique used in this shortbread recipe creates crumbly, crispy texture is freezing the dough and then grating it directly into the pan. This recipe is based on the one book Baking with Julia by Dorie Greenspan. As I understand from the reading and research I have done, this recipe was created by Julia Child’s, and adapted by some of the most admired chef’s. However, it was created or adapted, it is one of the best desserts I have had.
I remember growing up when this recipe was made by some of the Hungarian women within our community and it did vary in texture and often times the center was filled with many different jams and preserves. They would add a seasonal fruit was to this dessert and I remember it was either cherries, strawberries, raspberries, rhubarb, plum and apricot. I have to say apricot, raspberries and cherries were my favourites.
few ingredients needed for this recipe:
- flour
- baking powder
- salt
- unsalted butter
- sugar
- large eggs
- apricot preserve
- lemon zest
- confectioners’ sugar
WHAT MAKES THIS DESSERT SO DELICIOUS
The crust on this dessert is like a shortbread cookie and when you bite into it, the texture of the topping is crispy and crumbly yet the rich buttery throughout melts in your mouth “OH YUM!” The apricot center perfectly balances the flavours in this dessert. I added some lemon zest, just enough to add some freshness and zest to this dessert and it was the right choice in my opinion.
How can a dessert so simple with only a few ingredients have all of these textures? It has to do with how it is made. The brilliant idea of grating the frozen dough and baking while it is still frozen creates this wonderful layers of textures that you only embrace as you take each bite.
WHEN MAKING THIS DELICIOUS DESSERT.....
Whisk together flour, baking powder and salt, and set aside. Beat room temperature butter until it’s fluffy and pale. I use unsalted butter and salted butter can be substituted. Add egg yolks, and sugar and beat until well combined. Slowly add flour until it comes together. Form dough into ball and divide in half. Wrap with plastic and freeze for a minimum of 30 minutes.
I used an 8″ x 8″ pan, however a 9 inch square pan would work as well. Line with parchment paper, on side only. It’s easier to remove once baked.
Remove dough from freezer and grate one half into pan and pat dough down gently and evenly. Then spread lemon zest and preserve mixture over the dough, and add the topping and pat lightly. Bake for 35-40 minutes at 350°F. Remove and allow to cool in the pan before slicing. Dust with confectioners’ sugar.
Hungarian Apricot Shortbread
Equipment
- stand or hand mixer
- 8 inch x 8 inch square pan
Ingredients
- 2 cups flour
- 1 tsp baking powder
- ¼ tsp salt
- 1 lb unsalted butter, room temperature
- 2/3 cup sugar
- 2 large egg yolks
- 12 oz apricot preserve
- 1/2 tsp lemon zest
- Confectioners’ sugar
Instructions
- In a medium bowl, stir together flour, baking powder and salt. Set aside.
- Using a stand or hand mixer, beat butter until fluffy and pale. Add egg yolks one at a time, then add sugar and beat until well combined. Slowly add flour mixture and mix until the dough just begins to come together. Form dough into a ball and cut in half. Wrap each half in plastic wrap and freeze for a minimum of 30 minutes.
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Line an 8” x 8” pan with parchment paper on one side only, leaving a bit hanging over. Remove one piece of dough from the freezer and grate into the pan or on a large sheet of wax paper using the large holes of the grater. Pat the dough down gently and evenly. Mix together lemon zest with the apricot preserve, then spread over the dough. Grate the other piece of dough over the preserve. Pat down lightly, as you want to look crumbly. Bake for 40 minutes until golden in colour.
- Remove from the oven and place on cooling rack. Sprinkle with confectioners’ sugar, some of it will soak in but that’s okay. Cool completely in pan and then cut into 9 equal squares. Dust a little more confectioners' sugar to serve if you so desire.
Nutrition
How to make this recipe:
Using a stand or hand mixer, beat butter until fluffy and pale. Add egg yolks one at a time, then add sugar and beat until well combined. Slowly add flour mixture and mix until the dough just begins to come together. Form dough into a ball and cut in half. Wrap each half in plastic wrap and freeze for a minimum of 30 minutes.
Preheat oven to 350°F. Line an 8” x 8” pan with parchment paper on one side only, leaving a bit hanging over. Remove one piece of dough from the freezer and grate into the pan or on a large sheet of wax paper using the large holes of the grater. Pat the dough down gently and evenly. Mix together lemon zest with the apricot preserve, then spread over the dough. Grate the other piece of dough over the preserve. Pat down lightly, as you want to look crumbly. Bake for 40 minutes until golden in colour.
Absolute pure delight. Wonderful shortbread recipe. The best I ever made and tasted. Thank you Rose ❤️
Hi Darina,
I am so happy you liked the Hungarian shortbread recipe! We too, loved it and can’t wait to make it again.
Enjoy!
Rose xo
I will try this for Easter. I am 68 years old and have a similar recipe I got from my neighbor when I was 18 years old in Hungary. The difference is the bottom layer of the pastry is pressed in the pan and on the top of the preserve the second layer will be grated. I can post that old recipe if you are interested: I don’t think my neighbor learned it from Julia Child 😆
Hi Agnes,
Thank you for sharing, how special it is that you still have the recipe. In my opinion, if you press the bottom layer of pastry without grating it, the shortbread will be more compacted and by grating the pastry and then pressing it down into the pan creates a lighter texture. It all depends on what your prefer and either way, this shortbread recipe will be delicious.
I will be anxious to hear your feedback.
Have a lovely Easter
Rose
What brand of apricot preserves did you use?
Hi Loriane,
I use an Organic brand here in Canada, called PC Organics. I would recommend a good quality of a preserve for this dessert. I hope this helps.
Rose
I’m making this for our Easter desert tomorrow! Thanks to Darina who suggested 💕 🐣
Hi Rhonda,
I am so happy you are making the Hungarian Apricot Shortbread. It is absolutely delicious, and I so appreciated Darina’s comment.
I would love to hear your feedback.
Sincerely,
Rose
does the recipe really call for a whole pound of butter? other versions I have seen use half of that amount
Hi Lisa,
Yes it does, I know it sounds like a lot but the outcome is incredible! You can cut back, however the texture will be a little crumbly and dry. I haven’t substituted this version yet, but it’s worth giving it a try. I would recommend adding a few drops of milk.
I made this today and I used the pound of butter and my dough was way too wet. I measured all my dry ingredients very well. Idk what I did wrong. To me it looked like too much butter but its the same recipe so idk why mine came out so wet.
I am sorry to hear your dough come out too wet. Is the dough still raw or have you already baked it? If it’s still unbaked, this can be fixed.
My suggestion would be once you combined the ingredients, did you freeze the dough for a minimum of 30 minutes? This step is very important and you want a firm very cold dough to be able to grate. It does seem like a lot of butter, but traditionally this is how it’s made. Cutting back on the butter to 1/2-3/4 of a pound would be fine too, the texture would be a little different, more crumbly and a bit dry.
Hope this helps,
Rose