Fresh out of the oven, nothing smells more buttery and sweet than soft-baked sugar cookies. But apricot sugar cookie pies filled with wonderfully sweet and tangy apricot preserves...? Now that sounds like the perfect summer season sweet treat to offer up!
I simply adore the uncomplicated, sweet, buttery, and soft nature of a delicious little sugar cookie.
Nothing beats the warm, vanilla-infused delectable aroma as it gently wafts out of the oven when the cookies bake, making its way through the kitchen and into every room until the whole house is perfumed with sweet, sugary goodness.
Who can resist?
The tender, delicate and pale-golden sugar cookie is a wonderful partner to a cold glass of milk. (I happen to love unsweetened vanilla almond milk!)
In my mind, sugar cookie dough is sorta the “foundational” cookie dough; a dough in its purest form, before all sorts of other scrumptious bells and whistles are added in.
And speaking of bells and whistles, I love being inspired by the colors and flavors of other seasonal sweet things; and when added to a simple sugar cookie, they make it a little more dressed up and unique, and ready for the season.
Fragrant apricots are one of my favorite fruits of the warm months, and I love being able to make my own quick and easy apricot jam once the fruit is very ripe, juicy and sweet; but until then, I don't mind at all substituting a good quality and not-too-sweet apricot preserve when I'm looking for that slightly tangy and gloriously fruity accent perfect for a cookie.
Or in this case, shall I say a “cookie pie”?
These Apricot Cookie Pies are that wonderful little dessert that's a cross between a cookie and a pie, and ideal for the vibrant summer season, when perhaps you're looking for something a bit more delicate to have with your afternoon tea, or perhaps a picnic.
They remind me of sunlight and bright days, of breezes that carry the sweet scents of ripened fruit that tickle the taste buds.
They also remind me of all the pleasure that homemade desserts, prepared fresh with lots of love and care, can bring to both little kids and big alike.
So if a little taste of tangy and fragrant apricot jam layered between two soft and sweet sugar cookies entices your senses, then an Apricot Sugar Cookie Pie is the perfect portable dessert for you to nibble on and share that'll give you that delicate and delicious flavor of summer!
Taste what's good and pass it on.
Ingrid
Apricot Sugar Cookie Pies Filled with Apricot Preserves
by Ingrid Beer
Yield: Makes about 14 cookie pies, or 28 individual cookies
Ingredients:
• 2 ¼ cups all-purpose flour
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ½ teaspoon baking powder
• 1 cup unsalted butter, room temp
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• Zest of 1 medium lemon
• 1 egg, room temp
• 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
• ½ cup good-quality apricot preserves
• ¼ cup organic turbinado sugar (such as “Sugar in the Raw”, the bigger crystals)
Preparation:
-In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, salt and baking powder to combine, and set these dry ingredients aside for a moment.
-To the bowl of a mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, cream the butter by itself for about 30 seconds to 1 minute; then, add in the sugar and the lemon zest, and continue creaming for another 2 minutes or so, or until the butter/sugar is fluffy.
-Add in the egg and continue to mix until that is incorporated, then add in the vanilla and mix that in.
-With the mixer off (or on very low), add in the dry ingredients and slowly mix those into until well-blended, but take care not to over-mix as to not create tough cookies; chill the dough for about 30 minutes to 1 hour.
-Preheat the oven to 350°, and line a couple of baking sheets with parchment paper or silicon baking mats (my preferred method).
-To make the cookies pies, scoop out 1 ounce-size portions of the dough and roll into balls, placing the balls onto the prepared baking sheets; then, take the dough balls and flatten them out between your palms making them into a fairly thin “disk” shape, and lay them back down on baking sheet.
-Spoon about 1 teaspoon's worth of the apricot preserves into the center of the disk, then cover that with another disk of dough, pressing the edges together like you would a mini pie; using a fork, crimp the edges, and with a paring knife, create 4 little slits on top to resemble a pie; sprinkle with the turbinado sugar, and bake the cookie pies for about 13 minutes, until lightly golden along the edges and baked through.
-Allow to cool slightly, and serve slightly warm, or even room temp.
Victoria @ Pleasant Kitchen
yummy, i love your recipe
The Cozy Apron
Thanks, Victoria!
Lesli
Making this now
The Cozy Apron
Lesli, hope you enjoy! ❤
Anita
Just made these delicious cookie pies. They are so good by themselves with the lemon zest. Then you add the apricot or strawberry preserves in the center. They are just so good. I put strawberry in one batch and apricot in the other batch. Next time I make them I will make them smaller in size than I did this time.
The Cozy Apron
Hi Anita, I'm so thrilled you made these! Glad you enjoyed! I love the idea of using strawberry preserves as an alternative, as well. Thanks for sharing!
Lisa
I’ve made these several times! Great cookie!
The Cozy Apron
Lisa, I'm so happy to read that! So glad you've been enjoying these sweet, summery treats!
Suzanna
Can you make the dough ahead of time and refrigerate for 24 hours?
The Cozy Apron
Absolutely, Suzanna!
Sandra
Can you used store bought sugar cookie dough?
The Cozy Apron
Hi Sandra, I think that should be fine!
Charles
I have a bag of dried apricots. Can I simmer these with sugar and water to make the filling?
The Cozy Apron
Hi Charles, since I have not tried this process, it’s hard for me to tell you if you’ll end up with a preserve-like consistency, which is what is needed; however, if you have experience with this, and feel you can achieve that, it should be fine! (I think the apricots should break down fairly well in the water/sugar mixture, but maybe don’t use too much water...)
8BitBaker
I made these tonight for the first time and they are so adorable! I split a fresh one with my boyfriend and I couldn't help but smile while eating it. The sugar cookie base was just the right amount of crunch and softness and the apricots make them so bright and joyful to eat.
I made mine in two batches of 10 because my oven is quite small and cooks unevenly as is (they took 20 minutes for me). I weighed out my cookie dough into 40 equal balls and mashed them into discs that way rather than opting for 14, since some other commentors mentioned they were a bit big. I also found it was much easier to fork the edges using a separate surface, then place them into the pan for finishing touches (adding the 4 cut and turbinado sugar).
Ultimately, the 20 cookies that I made also took about 1/4C low sugar apricot preserves and about 2 tbsp turbinado sugar as well. For anyone wondering about nutrition, this brought the calories per cookie to ~180 each for me.
Thank you for the adorable recipe!
The Cozy Apron
Your comment put a smile on my face! 😉
Thanks for sharing your experience, and your tweaks, with other readers. Happy baking to you!
AnnMarie
I am in the process of making this recipe. For 28 cookies, we would require 56 1 ounce dough balls, i.e., 1 for the top crust and one for the bottom.
I just weighed out 29 one ounce dough balls from this recipe. That is enough for 14.5 cookies.
Unless I have misunderstood something.
The Cozy Apron
Hi AnnMarie, 14 is the correct amount of cookie "pies", with both top and bottom "crust", plus filling, etc.
In the recipe I mention that this yields enough for 14 sugar cookie "pies", or 28 single cookies (without tops, filling, etc. in case someone wanted to use the recipe for just plain sugar cookies).
So you have enough there to make the 14 cookie pies, indeed, with a top and bottom "crust". Hope that clarifies!
Diana
Can you roll the dough out and cut with a cookie cutter so all are the same size?
The Cozy Apron
Hi Diana, I haven't tried this method with this particular dough, so I can't say for sure whether it would be too sticky or not; but I say give it a try—if you feel it's a bit too sticky, then just sprinkle over a touch more flour.
Hope you enjoy!
Nancy Barbish
Do you need the lemon zest in the apricot cookie pies
The Cozy Apron
Hi Nancy, I think the lemon zest really does add something extra special, as it's a natural partner with apricots, and adds subtle bright note. But if you'd rather not add it, feel free to leave it out.
Becky Grant
Can you assemble these up to the point of baking and freeze them, then bake the frozen pies?
The Cozy Apron
Hi Becky, great question!
In full transparency, I have not tried this method as of yet, but I don't see why freezing them, raw, and then baking from that frozen state wouldn't work.
It's the same as when we buy frozen cookie dough and bake the cookies up that way, so I'd say give this a try. I have a feeling they'll turn out really well!
Kathleen Clifford
Thank you so much for this recipe!!!!!!!
My sister. (Rest her soul) made these cookies every year Christmas and I have not been able to find the recipe.
Thank you again... For the memories and the recipe 😊
The Cozy Apron
Kathleen, your comment touched me so very much. My condolences on the loss of your sister. I am so very happy you found the recipe, and I hope you will now be able to make these cookies for your family for Christmas. May you enjoy them, and think of her! ❤️