Apricot and Almond Cookies

I do not believe in superstitions, however after saying to my best friend over the weekend how I had not been sick all winter (or spring, if we can call it that), I was clearly asking for it. Maybe I should have thrown a black cat over my shoulder or put salt under a ladder whilst carrying an open umbrella inside? 

On day three of quarantine with Pete (who also managed to forget to do all the above things), I finally had some energy to get off the couch and bake something. After a quick look through the baking cupboard, surprisingly I managed to find a recipe with what I had in stock. 

I'm not quite back to 100%, but these cookies helped us both in meantime.

Apricot and Almond Cookies

adapted from Hummingbird Bakery Cake Days

makes 16 -18 cookies 

135g unsalted butter

80g caster sugar

80g light brown soft sugar

1 large free-range egg

½ tsp vanilla extract

190g plain flour

½ tsp salt

½ tsp ground cinnamon

½ tsp bicarbonate of soda

100g dried apricots, roughly chopped

60g ground almonds

20g flaked almonds

To roast the flaked almonds, put them in a non-stick frying pan and roast for 2-3 minutes on a medium heat. Ensure to keep an eye on them as they can brown quickly.   

Preheat the oven to 170C. Line 2 baking trays with greaseproof paper. 

With an electric mixer cream together the butter and both sugars until pale and fluffy. Mix in the egg, then the vanilla essence. 

Sift the flour, salt, cinnamon and bicarb soda together and add to the butter mixture in 2 batches, folding together until combined. Stir in the apricots and ground almonds.

Drop heaped tablespoons of the mixture onto the prepared trays. Leave a good  3 inches between each cookie to allow spreading in the oven. Sprinkle some flaked almonds over each cookie and press in slightly.

Bake for 15-20 minutes or until light golden brown. Cool for around 10 minutes on the trays then cool completely on a wire rack.

Happy Baking x