apricots + cardamom + honey + oranges
Cardamom is one of my absolute favorite spices but it didn’t used to be! Many moons ago, when I just was starting out baking, I found it too intense. It was just too flowery and honestly it wasn’t a familiar flavor profile because I never grew up with it. I’m not sure when that changed exactly but now I look forward to using it. This is a perfect ingredient to illustrate the importance of balance! I worked hard to ensure these apricot cardamom cookie bars have enough cardamom to show off the flavor without taking it too far.
Cardamom has been referred to as the “Queen of the Spices” and is currently the third most expensive spice in the world by weight (only behind saffron and vanilla). The most commonly used version is Green Cardamom, which is what I’m using in this recipe. It has floral, citrusy notes and is frequently used in many different cuisines, including Middle Eastern and Scandinavian.
Cardamom can be used in two ways – using the whole pod to steep in creams or sauces or using the ground seeds inside. Once we grind the seeds, like any other ground spice, they do lose their zing over time. If a recipe calls for ground cardamom and you want the freshest punch of flavor, buy the pods and grind the seeds.
Is this my preference? Absolutely! Do I do it all the time? Absolutely not.
Like most of us out there, I am juggling more life balls than is probably healthy 🙂 Convenience wins when it needs to and that is why I built the cardamom quantities in this recipe ASSUMING that you will be using pre-ground cardamom. If you do have the time to grind your green cardamom fresh in the moment, I would use about half the amount stated in the recipe to start. You can always add more!
Apricots are a tough fruit to find fresh when they are out of season. In working through various flavor combinations, I am learning that apricots are so versatile! However, in my local grocery store they aren’t available other than canned, which definitely can work for certain applications. I am excited that we are coming into fresh apricot season here very shortly! Mid-May to August is when apricots should be available in whole fruit form, so I have some big apricot recipe testing plans that will happen in that window.
Do you need fresh apricots for this? Nope! I strongly recommend using a pre-made apricot preserves for these apricot cardamom cookie bars. We will doctor it up with ground cardamom and fresh orange zest but leave the heavy jam lifting to the pros. The ground cardamom and fresh orange zest are going to brighten up the jam and tie in perfectly with these flavors in our bars and topping.
Now, let’s talk about baking with honey instead of sugar. Honey is sweeter than sugar and obviously is liquid. Therefore, there are a few concessions you need to make if you’re trying to replace one with the other.
- Use about 2/3 to 3/4 amount of honey than what is called for in the sugar
- The lesser amount of honey will ensure that your recipe doesn’t become overly sweet
- Add another 1-2 tbsp of flour for every 1 cup of honey you are using in the recipe
- The additional flour will help to offset the liquid that is being added with the honey
- Add 1 teaspoon of baking soda for every 1 cup of honey
- Honey naturally has a lower pH than sugar does, meaning it has higher acid content. Adding the baking soda both helps to neutralize that acid and also helps provide extra lift, as honey is heavier and denser than sugar.
These changes will ensure your replacement works!
I absolutely love the texture of these cookie bars. They are so light and the jam layer on top doesn’t overwhelm the flavor balance from the bars. Apricot, orange, honey and cardamom was such a great combo to play with because it required balance in more than one way! The balance test wasn’t just the level of spice from the cardamom but also the sweetness of the honey and strong apricot flavor. The orange was definitely more a supporting flavor in this application, instead of a headliner.
I have a few more ideas for this combination on the back burner! I’m thinking we could lean in on the jam only and turn the whole combination into a flavor-packed jam. I’m also loving the idea of an apricot upside down cake, with a lovely orange cardamom cake as the base. It would be irresponsible to not try these ideas too, right? 🙂
apricots + cardamom + honey + oranges
Now it’s your turn! What would you try with this flavor combination? Tell me in the comments!
apricot cardamom cookie bars
these soft jammy cookie bars are made with honey and cardamom, to complement the apricot jam. The honey gives these bars a beautiful texture and flavor!
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour
- Yield: 16 2″x2″ squares 1x
Ingredients
Cookie Bars:
- 1/2 cup butter, softened
- 2/3 cup honey
- 1 egg
- 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 3/4 tbsp ground cardamom
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1/4 tsp baking soda
Apricot Jam:
- 1 cup apricot jam, jelly or preserves
- 1 tsp ground cardamom
- 1 orange, zested
Crumble Topping:
- 1 tbsp butter, softened
- 3 tbsp all-purpose flour
- 1 orange, zested
- 1 tbsp brown sugar
- 1/4 tsp salt
Instructions
Cookie Bars:
Preheat oven to 350F. Butter and flour an 8″x 8″ baking dish and set aside.
Cream butter and honey together using a stand or hand mixer. Add egg and vanilla and beat until combined. Combine flour, baking powder, baking soda salt & ground cardamom together. Add the flour mixture into butter mixture and mix until combined. Remove dough from mixing bowl and press into bottom of prepared baking dish in an even layer.
Apricot Jam:
In a small bowl, combine apricot jam, orange zest and ground cardamom. Spread jam over top of the sugar cookie base evenly.
Crumble Topping:
Using your hands or two forks mix butter, 3 tbsp all purpose flour, 1 tbsp brown sugar, orange zest and salt in a bowl until a crumby mixture forms. Sprinkle the crumble across the jam layer.
Bake at 350F for 30-35 minutes or until jam is bubbly around the edges. Let cool to room temperature to allow base and jam to fully set.
Want to try other recipes using apricot, cardamom, honey or orange? Try one of my other recipes below!
harissa hot honey
