Apricot Almond Squares

These apricot almond squares are a layered bar cookie that starts with a cake mix shortcut. Yellow cake mix and melted butter get mixed into a crumbly base with chopped almonds. Part of that mixture presses into the pan as a crust, the rest gets saved for the crumble topping.

Apricot preserves spread across the crust in a thick, jammy layer. On top of that goes a sweetened cream cheese filling with vanilla and a touch of flour to set it during baking. The reserved crumb mixture gets tossed with flaked coconut and scattered over everything. Three distinct layers, all in one pan.

They bake until the topping turns golden and the cream cheese center sets firm. Cool them completely before cutting or the layers slide apart.

Chef Tips

• Soften the cream cheese fully before beating. Cold cream cheese won’t blend smooth and leaves lumps in the filling layer.
• Leave a quarter-inch border around the edges when spreading the preserves. This prevents sticky jam from burning on the sides of the pan.
• Cool completely in the pan before cutting into squares. Warm bars fall apart.
• Store in the refrigerator. The cream cheese layer needs to stay cold.

Variations

• Use raspberry or strawberry preserves instead of apricot for a different fruit flavor.
• Swap almonds for pecans in the crumb mixture for a Southern twist.
• Add a drizzle of white chocolate over the cooled squares for a dressed-up presentation.