Apricot Coconut Meringue Bars

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Apricot Coconut Meringue Bars

This is my new favorite version of one of the oldest cookie bar recipes in my family. It's no secret that apricot is my favorite type of jam and a quick homemade version is what I used in this recipe which I've also made on different occasions with raspberry, strawberry and cranberry jams.

I've updated the recipe recently to partially pre-bake the base, which, depending on the water content of the jam you are using could get soggy. This step worked really well in preventing that from happening.

I like to make homemade apricot jam for this recipe from dried apricots, so I've included instructions for enough jam to make this recipe but if you like, double the recipe and save a jar for your morning toast or to serve on fresh baked biscuits at a weekend brunch. Yum!

Apricot Coconut Meringue Squares

Recipe by Barry C. Parsons

Apricot Coconut Meringue Squares - a soft cookie base, covered with sweet apricot jam and a layer of coconut meringue. Delicious with practically any favorite jam of your choice.

Prep time: 15 minutes
Cook time: 45 minutes
Total time: 1 hour
Yield: 25 cookie squares

Ingredients

• FOR THE BASE
• 1/2 cup butter
• 1 cup brown sugar
• 2 egg yolks (reserve the whites for the meringue top)
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 1/2 cups flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 2 cups homemade or good quality apricot jam
• FOR THE TOP LAYER
• 2 egg whites
• 1 cup brown sugar
• 1 cup fine unsweetened dried (desicated) coconut
• TO MAKE APRICOT JAM
• 2 cups chopped dried apricots
• 1 1/2 cups boiling water
• 2/3 cup sugar
• 2 tbsp lemon juice

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a 9x9 inch square baking pan and line with parchment paper.
2. FOR THE BASE, cream together the brown sugar and butter until light and fluffy.
3. Beat in the egg yolks and vanilla extract.
4. Sift together the flour and baking powder. Fold into the creamed mixture.
5. Spread evenly into the bottom of the prepared pan and bake for 25 -30 minutes. Remove from oven and cool for 10 minutes.
6. Spread the jam over the surface of the base.
7. Whip the egg whites to soft peaks.
8. Gradually beat in the brown sugar.
9. Fold in the dried coconut.
10. Spread carefully over the surface of the jam layer. Return to the oven for about 20-25 minutes.
11. Cool completely in the pan before cutting into squares or bars. Store in airtight containers. Freezes well.
12. If you are making homemade jam, cover the chopped apricots with the boiling water and add the sugar and lemon juice.
13. Bring to a slow simmer for about 15-20 minutes.
14. Using a potato masher mash the apricots and continue to simmer into a jam consistency where the jam is quite thick and all the visible liquid has boiled off. Cool to at least warm before using in the cookie square recipe.

Chocolate Pavlova Layer Cake

Chocolate Pavlova Layer Cake

I put together this incredible cake for a morning coffee at the office where we said so long to a work colleague who is heading off to teach in South Korea. Bon Voyage Amber! I actually doubled this recipe to produce a large 10 inch 4 layer cake which served about 40 or more people.

This cake really does make an impression but is probably much easier to make than you might think. The cake is a simple one-bowl scratch cake which gets filled with a very easy to make whipped ganache frosting. If you can whip egg whites and turn on the oven, you are already half way to making the melt-in-your-mouth chocolate meringues which get added between the cake layers.

Chocolate Cake

2 cups sugar
2 cups all purpose flour
3/4 cup cocoa
2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
2 eggs
1 cup soured milk (just add a tablespoon of lemon juice or plain vinegar to a cup of milk)
1 cup black coffee
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 tsp vanilla extract

Combine all ingredients in a mixing bowl and beat with electric mixer for 2 minutes.
Pour into 2 greased and floured 9 inch cake pans. Bake at 350 degrees F for 30-35 minutes or until toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool completely on a wire rack. When completely cooled, split the two layers into four with a sharp serrated bread knife.

Whipped Chocolate Ganache

To prepare the filling, melt together in a double boiler

3 cups dark chocolate chips

1/2 cup whipping cream

Stir constantly over a gentle simmer in the double boiler, just until melted and smooth throughout. You do not want this mixture to get hot, it should be just at the melting point and only lukewarm to the touch.

Transfer to a large mixing bowl.

In a separate bowl, whip to firm peaks:

2 cups whipping cream.

Add the whipped cream to the chocolate mixture in four portions, folding gently after each addition until the whipped cream is completely incorporated into the chocolate. 

At this point you will probably have to chill this frosting for a half hour or more in the fridge if it is too soft to work with. Just give it a quick fold with a rubber spatula every 10 minutes so that it cools evenly in the fridge.

Chocolate Meringues

Preheat oven to 250 degrees F.

4 large egg whites, at room temperature
1 cup fine granulated sugar
1tsp vanilla extract

Whip the egg whites and vanilla to soft peaks and gradually add the sugar slowly, whipping until the sugar is completely dissolved. Pinch the meringue between your fingertips to feel that all of the sugar granules have completely dissolved.

Sift together:

1 1/2 tbsp corn starch

2 tbsp cocoa

Sprinkle over the meringue mixture and fold in until completely incorporated along with:

1 tsp white vinegar

This step helps a crisp crust to form on the meringue. Drop the meringue in two halves  onto a parchment paper lined baking sheet and spread it out into two 9 inch circles.

Bake for  about 1 hour or until small cracks appear in the meringue. Turn off the oven, leave the door ajar and allow the meringues to cool completely in the oven.

To construct the cake, lay the first of 4 layers of cake onto the serving plate. Cover with a thin layer of the chocolate filling then add one of the meringues and another thin layer of filling before adding the second layer of cake. The middle layer just gets topped with the chocolate filling. Add the next layer of cake, a thin layer of whipped ganache, the second meringue, another thin layer of whipped ganache and the final layer of cake before topping with the last of the whipped ganache. Garnish with melted chocolate and berries if desired.