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Apricot Coconut Meringue Bars shown with a green and white tea service.

Apricot Coconut Meringue Bars

Apricot Coconut Meringue Squares – a soft cookie base, covered with sweet apricot jam and a layer of coconut meringue. Delicious with practically any favourite jam of your choice.
Course Cookies
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 45 minutes
Total Time 1 hour
Servings 24 cookie bars or squares
Calories 235 kcal
Author Barry C. Parsons

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 dessicated coconut

TO MAKE APRICOT JAM

  • 2 cups chopped dried apricots
  • 1 1/2 cups boiling water
  • 2/3 cup sugar
  • 2 tbsp lemon juice

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a 9×9 inch square baking pan and line with parchment paper.

FOR THE BASE

  1. Cream together the brown sugar and butter until light and fluffy.
  2. Beat in the egg yolks and vanilla extract.
  3. Sift together the flour and baking powder. Fold into the creamed mixture.
  4. Spread evenly into the bottom of the prepared pan and bake for 25 -30 minutes. Remove from oven and cool for 10 minutes.
  5. Spread the jam over the surface of the base.
  6. Whip the egg whites to soft peaks.
  7. Gradually beat in the brown sugar.
  8. Fold in the dried coconut.
  9. Spread carefully over the surface of the jam layer. Return to the oven for about 20-25 minutes.
  10. Cool completely in the pan before cutting into squares or bars. Store in airtight
  11. containers. Freezes well.

To make the Apricot Jam

  1. You can use a good quality jarred jam but if you want to make your own, cover the chopped apricots with the boiling water and add the sugar and lemon juice.
  2. Bring to a slow simmer for about 15-20 minutes.
  3. 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.