Cookie Recipes - Apricot and Chocolate Pretzels

 

Ingredients

• 1 cup/100 g finely chopped dried apricots

• 5 tbsp orange juice

• 5 tbsp butter

• 1 1/3 cups/180 g all­purpose/plain flour

• 1 tsp baking powder

• 1/4 tsp salt

• 1/4 cup/50 g granulated sugar

• 2 large egg yolks, lightly beaten

• 2 oz/50 g semisweet/dark chocolate, finely grated

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Method:

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F/180°C/gas 4. Line  three cookie sheets with parchment paper.

2. Mix the apricots, orange juice, and 1 tablespoon butter in a small saucepan. Cook over low heat for 5 minutes, or until the apricots have softened. Let cool completely.

3. Sift the flour, baking powder, and salt into a large bowl. Stir in the sugar. Use a pastry blender to cut in the remaining butter until the mixture resembles fine crumbs.

4. Add the egg yolks, chocolate, and apricot mixture to make a stiff dough. Form tablespoons of the dough into 6 inch (15-cm) ropes.

5. Make each rope into a pretzel shape by twisting the two ends around each other, then bringing both back near to the center of the strip, about 1 inch apart.

6. Use a spatula to transfer the cookies to the cookie sheet, spacing 1 inch (2.5 cm) apart.

7. Bake, one sheet at a time, for 12-15 minutes, or until just golden. Transfer to racks to cool.