Apricot Harlequin Cookies are crisp, melt-in-your-mouth slices of shortbread studded with jewel-like bits of dried apricot. They’re quick to prepare, easy to freeze, and perfect to slice and bake whenever a cookie craving hits. (Skip to recipe.)
These slice-and-bake cookies are a delicate twist on classic shortbread: crisp edges, tender centers, and plenty of chewy apricot pieces throughout. They make an elegant addition to a holiday cookie platter or a simple companion to afternoon tea any time of year.
The traditional Italian Arlecchini (also called Harlequin or Tutti Frutti cookies) often use brightly colored candied cherries. For a more natural, refined flavor and color I use chopped dried apricots instead. They provide a warm golden contrast in the pale, buttery dough without the artificial coloring of candied fruit.
I omit the egg to keep the texture smooth and crisp, closer to shortbread. A splash of rum (or water) helps bring the dough together and, like vodka in pie crusts, keeps the logs easier to slice after freezing. The dough is simple to make, and the log can be frozen for quick, fresh-baked cookies on demand.
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Kitchen Frau notes: Sweet rice flour (also called glutinous rice flour or mochiko) contains no gluten despite its name; the term refers to its sticky quality. It works well in baking and for thickening sauces.
If you use gluten-free flours, there’s no need to add gums. Freezing the dough helps the ingredients bind, and the slices hold together nicely after baking.
Vegan option: This recipe contains no eggs, so replacing butter with a vegan margarine or plant-based butter works well. The cookies turn out a bit crisper and slightly less short, but still very tasty.
(Eggless) Apricot Harlequin Cookies
adapted from Cakes in the City
- ½ cup (115 g) soft salted butter (or vegan butter substitute)
- 1 and ⅓ cups (190 g) all-purpose flour — or use this gluten-free mix: ⅓ cup (45 g) brown rice or sorghum flour + ⅓ cup (45 g) white rice flour + ⅓ cup (55 g) sweet rice flour* + ⅓ cup (50 g) cornstarch
- ⅔ cup (80 g) icing sugar (confectioners’ sugar/powdered sugar)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 1 to 2 tablespoons rum (or water)
- ½ cup (100 g) soft dried apricots, chopped
In the bowl of a mixer, beat the butter until soft and slightly fluffy. Add the flour (or gluten-free flour blend), icing sugar, and vanilla and mix until the mixture looks crumbly.
Add 1 tablespoon of rum or water and beat until the dough comes together into a soft ball that pulls away from the sides of the bowl. This can take a couple of minutes. Add the second tablespoon gradually only if needed. If the dough becomes too wet, stir in a teaspoon of flour or rice flour at a time until it’s soft but not sticky.
Coarsely chop the dried apricots and fold them into the dough until evenly distributed.
Shape the dough into a ball and place it on a large piece of wax paper. Roll and form it into a smooth log about 10 inches (25 cm) long.
Wrap the log in the wax paper and roll it on the counter to smooth the surface. If the paper is crinkled, unwrap and re-wrap to keep the log edges clean so slices are even. Freeze the wrapped log for 1 hour.
The log freezes well for several months if tightly wrapped in plastic; remove it from the freezer about 30 minutes before slicing and baking so it cuts cleanly.
When ready to bake, slice the log into ⅓ inch (8 mm) rounds and place them on greased or parchment-lined baking sheets. If any edges separate, press them gently back into place so each cookie is intact.
Bake in a preheated 325°F (160°C) oven for 12 to 15 minutes, until the undersides are lightly golden. Allow the cookies to rest in the pans for 5 minutes, then transfer to a rack to cool completely.
Yield: about 30 cookies.
Guten Appetit!
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