Eating My Way Through the Alphabet; Letter A

What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen?  Apricot-Orange Crumble Bars!  Who doesn’t love this saucy little fruit?  Apricots add an exotic touch of class to everything from appetizers to dessert. Try a dollop of jam on a round of baked Camembert cheese sometime.  It is decadent!  My recipe today serves as a breakfast food, an afternoon snack, or a delicate dessert option.  

APRICOT-ORANGE CRUMBLE BARS

Ingredients:
2 cups flour
1teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 cup butter
1cup sugar
Directions:
Cream together sugar and butter. Mix flour, salt, and baking soda together. Add dry ingredients together. Spread 3/4 of batter into a 9×13 greased dish.  Sprinkle with 1 teaspoon of ground cinnamon.  Spread 12 ounce dollops of Bonne Maman Apricot Preserves* on top.  Slice dried apricot pieces over jam mixture.  Fill in with a tablespoon or two of Bonne Maman Orange Marmalade*.  Crumble remaining batter on top.  Sprinkle with 1/4 cup brown sugar.  Bake 350* for 30-35 minutes.  Cool slightly and cut into 24 squares. 
* Bonne Maman is a product of France. 

Eating My Way Through the Alphabet 

What’s cooking in Gail’s Kitchen?  Stay tuned and you’re about to find out.  It’s as simple as A-B-C.  One of my passions is being at home in my own country kitchen.   I love to cook, and my husband loves that I do it often.  Now more than ever, since I am retired, I relish the thought of creating something delicious from scratch.  I adore time-honored traditions using tried-and-true recipes. Yet, I often never think twice about tweaking old favorites or modifying others to suit the inner craving of the moment.  Most of the recipes serve 2-4 people, but can be altered in any direction.  The leftovers are golden morsels to be eaten again later or shared with others.  And I love to share.  To me, seeing a smile in gratitude is thanks enough. The recipes you will find here in the next several weeks can be prepared very easily.  Feel free to contact me with questions.  Now take a deep breath, inhale the aromas, and join me on a tasteful journey entitled, “EATING MY WAY THROUGH THE ALPHABET”.