Recipe Box - A is for Apricot

As in apricot squares! Baby's aunt Elsa is actually an old family friend, but as we do if we are so lucky, we embrace precious, beloved ones to complete our families. Going to her house in Brooklyn years ago over the Jewish holidays, Baby remembers the house being filled with the wondrous aromas of her baking upon entering. As a boy, he particularly looked forward to her apricot squares then, and would ask his mother to make them at home to fill the other months, which she did. The tradition had disappeared for years and just over the summer when we were visiting aunt Elsa in upstate New York, Baby requested the recipe--after some digging, Elsa found the recipe card pictured here and we were delighted to make them ourselves, together. Do enjoy this sweet reminiscence.

Aunt Elsa's Apricot Squares
Ingredients
1/2 lb. butter
1 cup sugar
2 egg yolks
2 cups flour
1 cup crushed nuts
1 12 oz. jar of apricot jam

Cream butter and sugar. Add yolks. Fold in flour and nuts. Divide in 1/2. Press one 1/2 into 13x9 pan. Spread jam on top. Crumble remaining dough on top. Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour. Cool. Cut into squares. As you can see, they don't last for long!