Apricot Jam Nut Bars

A good cookbook not only offers up good recipes, but also inspires cooks to create their own dishes. That’s the case for Modern Potluck: Beautiful Food to Share  by Kristin Donnelly. Last week I went to a potluck for my Centering Pregnancy group reunion. As I paged through the book I came across this recipe for Cranberry Jam Streusel Bars with walnuts that sounded delicious! It inspired me to make my own version with lactogenic ingredients for a yummy way to increase my milk supply. 

I added cardamom, ground fenugreek, various nuts and ground fennel since they are known to help breastfeeding moms increase their milk supply. I substituted the butter with ghee as ghee is a healthier option. The book also has a recipe for vanilla-spiced cranberry jam, instead I used my recipe for apricot jam and added a vanilla bean to the mix.

This cookbook has tons of other delicious, potluck style desserts such as Blueberry Slab Pie and Plum-Ginger Coffee Cake. The pictures are absolutely gorgeous and mouth-watering. I love that each recipe makes a family-sized dish. I live with just my husband and baby, so it can be hard when cooking for more than two people. My only complaint would be that there aren’t enough vegetarian recipes.

I brought my version of the streusel bars to the pregnancy potluck and they were a hit! It’s a nice change from all those other milk-making treats. I used salted, roasted pistachios and I love the salty sweet flavor it gives the bars. Fair warning,  you’ll probably leave a trail of crumbs behind you as you eat them. Just use your feet to sweep them to the side and continue eating. 🙂

If you’re not a breastfeeding mom – just leave out the fenugreek and fennel powder and you’ll still end up with a yummy treat! Enjoy!

Apricot Jam Nut Bars

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• Total Time: 55 minutes
• Yield: one 9 x 13 pan 1x

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Ingredients

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Vanilla Apricot Jam

• 10 apricots, chopped
• 1/4 cup granulated sugar
• 1/4 lemon
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1 vanilla bean

Nut Bars

• 1 1/4 cup flour
• 1 cup almond meal
• 1 3/4 cup old-fashioned oats
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup light brown sugar
• 1 tsp salt
• 3/4 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp ground cardamom
• 1 tsp ground ginger
• 1 tsp ground fennel (optional)
• 1 tsp fenugreek powder (optional)
• 1 cup ghee or unsalted butter, melted
• 1/4 cup pistachios, chopped
• 1/4 cup walnuts, chopped

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Instructions

Vanilla Apricot Jam

1. Add apricots, sugar, and salt to a saucepan. Squeeze juice from 1/4 slice of lemon into the saucepan and add lemon to the pan. Remove seeds from vanilla bean and add both the pod and seeds to the pan. Use a whisk to slightly mash up the apricots. Bring to a boil on medium high heat. Once the mixture starts to boil, reduce the heat and simmer for 10 minutes. Taste the jam to check the sweetness level and add additional sugar if needed. Mix often so jam does not burn on the bottom.
2. Once the jam is boiling with small bubbles and has a shiny “skin” layer on top, turn off the heat. Remove vanilla pod and set aside to cool.

Nut Bars

1. Pre-heat oven to 350 F. Butter a 9 x 13 pan and line with parchment paper, leaving some paper to hang over the edges.
2. In a large bowl, mix flour, almond meal, oats, sugars, salt, baking soda, ground cardamom, ground ginger, ground fennel and fenugreek powder until well combined. Pour in melted ghee or butter and mix until you get a sandy texture and all the flour is moist. Reserve 3/4 cups of the mixture and set aside. Take the rest of the mixture and evenly press it into the bottom of the 9 x 13 pan. Evenly spread the vanilla apricot jam on top.
3. Add chopped pistachios and walnuts to the reserved flour mixture and mix. Sprinkles the mixture over the top of the jam and gently press down.
4. Bake bars for 40-45 minutes or until golden brown. Let cool completely before cutting into squares.

Notes

Adapted from Modern Potluck by Kristin Donnelly

• Prep Time: 10 minutes
• Cook Time: 45 minutes

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Disclaimer: I received this book from the Blogging for Books program in exchange for this review. As usual I would only share a product that I think my readers would enjoy and the above is a honest review.