Dark Chocolate Apricot Cookies Recipe

By Betty Crocker Recipes

January 9 is National Apricot Day! So not only did I post a pizza recipe in honor of pizza week but I'm posting this beautiful cookie recipe in honor of National Apricot Day too.

I have to tell you.... I'm not a fan of apricots. I know it's shocking there's a food I don't have a taste bud for but it is. My Mother loved them with a passion and baked with them all the time; so I did eat food cooked with them but I didn't dare eat one "alone." Nope apricots are right up there with persimmons in my book. BUT having said that... look at these beautiful cookies by Betty Crocker. The colors are beautiful and dipped in dark chocolate is sinful to say the least!


INGREDIENTS:

1 pouch (1 lb 1.5 oz) Betty Crocker® sugar cookie mix
1/2 cup butter or margarine, softened
1/4 teaspoon orange extract
1 egg
1 cup chopped dried apricots
1 package (12 oz) dark chocolate chips

DIRECTIONS:
1. Heat oven to 375°F. In large bowl, stir cookie mix, butter, orange extract and egg until soft dough forms. Stir in apricots until blended.

2. Drop dough by rounded teaspoonfuls 2 inches apart on ungreased cookie sheet.

3. Bake 8 to 10 minutes or until edges are light golden brown. Cool 3 minutes; remove from cookie sheet to wire rack. Cool completely, about 15 minutes.

4. In small microwavable bowl, microwave chocolate chips uncovered on High 1 to 2 minutes, stirring every 30 seconds, until chips are melted. Dip each cookie halfway into melted chocolate, letting excess drip off. Place on waxed paper and let stand until chocolate is set, at least 2 hours. To quickly set chocolate, refrigerate cookies 15 minutes. Store between sheets of waxed paper in tightly covered container at room temperature.

Apricot-Sour Cream Tea Cookies

Apricot-Sour Cream Tea Cookies
Originally uploaded by Pillsbury.com

INGREDIENTS

Cookies
1 roll (16.5 oz) Pillsbury® refrigerated sugar cookies
1 cup Fisher® Chef's Naturals® Pecan Halves
3/4 cup dried apricots
1/4 cup Smucker's® Apricot Preserves
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/4 cup sour cream
1/4 cup Pillsbury BEST® All Purpose Flour


Glaze
2 cups powdered sugar
1/3 cup milk

DIRECTIONS
1. Let cookie dough stand at room temperature 10 minutes to soften. Meanwhile, heat oven to 350°F. Spray cookie sheets with Crisco® Original No-Stick Cooking Spray.
2. In food processor, place pecans, apricots, preserves, cinnamon and cloves. Cover; process with on-and-off pulses 20 to 30 seconds or until pecans and apricots are finely chopped and mixture holds together.
3. In large bowl, mix pecan mixture and sour cream. Crumble cookie dough into pecan mixture, stir with wooden spoon until well blended. Stir in flour until well blended.
4. Drop dough by 24 heaping tablespoonfuls 2 inches apart onto cookie sheets. Bake 12 to 15 minutes or until light golden brown. Cool on cookie sheets 2 minutes; remove to cooling racks. Cool completely, about 20 minutes.
5. Place waxed paper under cooling racks. In medium bowl, stir powdered sugar and milk until smooth. Dip tops of cookies into glaze; place on racks and let stand 5 minutes. Dip cookies again; let stand 5 minutes longer or until glaze is set.

RECIPE: White Chocolate-Ginger Cookies

I have a real love for chunks of white chocolate in cookies. Well.... white chocolate chunks in anything really. That's one reason why I like this recipe so. This recipe is full of chopped pecans and ginger too. Three things that I think go fantastic together. 

RECIPE: White Chocolate-Ginger Cookies 
Originally uploaded by Pillsbury.com

I found this recipe at pillsbury.com a couple of years ago and every time I get a craving for white chocolate I have to make it. This cookie reminds me of Thanksgiving and Christmas. It must be because of the spices. I like to hold back a bit on the spices in most recipes. Not to heavy on the ginger, nutmeg or cinnamon. But I still have to have it in my cookies. :)


Thanks to one of my readers asking for the recipe- I was reminded about this lovely cookie recipe. It really is lovely. And the glaze that you see on top.... well it has a touch of orange juice in it that makes it ever so special. Anything I've ever ate with orange juice in it has been memorable. I'm sure you'll add this recipe to your cookie list too.

INGREDIENTS
Cookies

• 1 roll (16.5 oz) Pillsbury® refrigerated sugar cookies
• 1/4 cup packed dark brown sugar
• 1 1/4 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 2 teaspoons grated orange peel
• 1 package (6 oz) white chocolate baking bars, coarsely chopped
• 3/4 cup Fisher® Chef's Naturals® Chopped Pecans
• 1/3 cup finely chopped crystallized ginger*

Glaze

• 1/2 cup powdered sugar
• 1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 3 to 3 1/2 teaspoons orange juice

DIRECTIONS
1. Heat oven to 350°F. In large bowl, break up cookie dough. Stir or knead in brown sugar, 1 1/4 teaspoons cinnamon, the ginger, nutmeg and orange peel until well blended. Stir in white chocolate baking bars, pecans and crystallized ginger. On ungreased cookie sheets, drop dough by 1/4 cupfuls 3 inches apart.
2. Bake 13 to 17 minutes or until edges are golden brown. Cool 2 minutes; remove from cookie sheets to cooling racks. Cool completely, about 15 minutes.
3. In small bowl, mix powdered sugar, 1/8 teaspoon cinnamon and enough orange juice for desired drizzling consistency. Drizzle glaze over cooled cookies. Let stand until glaze is set.

*To easily chop crystallized ginger, cut with kitchen scissors into small pieces.

Peach-Pecan Thumbprint Cookies

Here's a fantastic looking cookie for you to try in honor of National Cookie Day -which is celebrated every December 4th. This cookie looks so beautiful & made with sugar cookie dough! I've never baked this one so those of you who have... tell us how you liked it. Remember it for National Cookie Month in October too.

Peach-Pecan Thumbprint Cookies 
Originally uploaded by Pillsbury.com

INGREDIENTS
1 roll (16.5 oz) Pillsbury® refrigerated sugar cookies
1/2 cup Pillsbury BEST® All Purpose Flour
1 tablespoon granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
2 EGGLAND’S BEST eggs
3 tablespoons water
1 1/4 cups Fisher® Chef’s Naturals® Chopped Pecans, finely chopped
1/3 cup Smucker’s® Peach Preserves
1 cup powdered sugar
2 tablespoons bourbon or water

DIRECTIONS
1. Let cookie dough stand at room temperature for 10 minutes to soften. Meanwhile, heat oven to 350°F. Line cookie sheets with cooking parchment paper or spray with Crisco® Original No-Stick Cooking Spray.
2. In large bowl, break up cookie dough. Mix in flour, granulated sugar, cinnamon and ginger with wooden spoon until well blended. Shape dough into 1-inch balls.
3. In shallow dish, beat eggs and water until well blended. In another shallow dish, place pecans. Roll dough balls in egg mixture, then coat with pecans (press pecans into dough if necessary). Place 2 inches apart on cookie sheets. Make small indentation in each cookie, using handle of wooden spoon. Fill each indentation with about 1/2 teaspoon preserves.
4. Bake 11 to 15 minutes or until light golden brown. Meanwhile, in small bowl, mix powdered sugar and bourbon until smooth. If necessary, stir in small amount of water for desired drizzling consistency.
5. Remove cookies from cookie sheets to cooling racks. Cool 3 minutes. Drizzle bourbon mixture over warm cookies.