Pistachio-Crusted Lamb Chops

Sweet, toasted pistachios and cumin give these chops a Middle-Eastern twist. Because rib chops are so small, they cook under the broiler in almost no time.

• 1 cup unsalted shelled pistachios
• Kosher salt
• 3 Tbs. honey
• 1 Tbs. fresh lemon juice
• 1 tsp. ground cumin
• 1/4 tsp. cayenne
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 12 lamb rib chops (about 1-1/2 lb.)
• 2 Tbs. extra-virgin olive oil

Position a rack about 4 inches from the broiler and heat the broiler on high.


Finely chop the pistachios in a food processor. Combine the pistachios and 1/2 tsp. salt in a small bowl. In another small bowl, use a fork to mix the honey and lemon juice. In a third small bowl, mix the cumin, cayenne, 1 tsp. salt, and 1/2 tsp. pepper.


Brush the lamb chops with the oil and season on both sides with the spice mixture.


Arrange the chops on a foil-lined rimmed baking sheet. Broil until lightly browned, 1 to 2 minutes. Flip and broil until the second sides are lightly browned, 1 to 2 minutes. Remove the baking sheet from the oven, and lower the rack to about 6 inches from the broiler. Using a pastry brush, spread about half of the honey mixture on the top sides of the chops. Sprinkle with about half of the nuts, pressing so that they adhere. Broil until the nuts are lightly toasted, about 30 seconds.


Flip the chops and repeat the honey-nut coating on the other sides. Broil until the nuts are lightly browned and the lamb is medium rare, about 30 seconds. Let the chops rest for about 2 minutes, and then serve, sprinkling any nuts that may have fallen off the lamb onto each portion.

Zucchini-Pistachio Bread

This tasty quick bread is the perfect destination for late-summer zucchini. Pistachios are the perfect flavor pairing here, and a dusting of confectioners’ sugar adds a bit of sweetness to every bite.

• 1 Tbs. unsalted butter, softened
• 9 oz. (2 cups) unbleached all-purpose flour, plus more for the pan
• 3/4 cup granulated sugar
• 1 Tbs. baking powder
• 3/4 tsp. table salt
• 1 tsp. ground cinnamon
• 2/3 cup chopped toasted pistachios
• 1/2 cup whole milk
• 2 large eggs, at room temperature
• 1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
• 1-1/2 cups coarsely grated zucchini, squeezed dry
• 4 oz. (1/2 cup) unsalted butter, melted and cooled
• Confectioners’ sugar for dusting

Position a rack in the lower third of the oven and heat the oven to 350°F. Butter and then flour the bottom and sides of a 6-cup (8-1/2 x 4-1/2-inch or 9 x 5-inch) loaf pan, tapping out any excess flour.

In a large bowl, combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon. Whisk until well blended. Stir in the pistachios.

In a medium bowl, combine the milk, eggs, and vanilla. Add the zucchini and whisk until blended. Pour the wet ingredients over the dry ingredients. Add the melted butter. Using a silicone spatula, gently fold until blended.

Scrape the batter into the prepared pan and spread evenly.

Bake, rotating halfway through, until the top is golden and a wooden skewer or toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, 50 to 55 minutes.

Let cool in the pan on a rack for 30 minutes. Invert the bread and remove the pan, turn the bread right side up, and let cool completely. Dust with confectioners’ sugar.  Store, covered, at room temperature for up to 2 days.

Apricot & Pistachio Baklava with Orange-Cardamom Syrup

This variation of the classic baklava injects a tart, citrusy note into the sweet, flaky layers.

• 1-lb. “twin pack” phyllo dough (two 8-oz. packs, each containing about twenty 9x14-inch sheets)

For the filling:

• 12 oz. (2-1/2 cups) unsalted, shelled raw pistachios
• 12 oz. (2 cups, packed) dried apricots
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 10 oz. (1-1/4 cups) unsalted butter

Tip:

Use California apricots for a tart, pronounced apricot flavor or Turkish apricots for a sweeter, mellow flavor.

For the syrup:

• 1-1/2 cups granulated sugar
• 2/3 cup orange juice (preferably freshly squeezed)
• 1-1/2 tsp. ground cardamom

Thaw the phyllo overnight in the refrigerator. Then put the phyllo box on the counter to come to room temperature, 1-1/2 to 2 hours.

Make the filling:

Put the pistachios, apricots, and sugar in a food processor. Process until the nuts and apricots are finely chopped (the largest should be the size of small dried lentils), 30 to 45 seconds. Set aside.

Assemble the baklava:

Unfold one pack of the phyllo sheets and stack them so that they lie flat on your work surface. Cover the top with plastic wrap, letting some excess plastic fall over all four edges. Dampen and wring out a kitchen towel and drape it on top of the plastic wrap; this will hold the plastic in place and prevent the phyllo from drying out.

Melt the butter in a small saucepan. Brush the bottom of a 9x13-inch metal pan (preferably with straight sides and a light-color interior to prevent overbrowning on the edges) with some of the butter. Remove a sheet of phyllo from the stack, re-cover the rest (be sure to cover the remaining sheets each time you remove a new one), and put the sheet in the bottom of the pan. Brush the sheet with some of the melted butter but don’t soak the phyllo (remember, you’ll have about 40 layers of buttered phyllo by the time you’re done). Repeat until you have layered and buttered about half the sheets from the first pack—about 10 sheets in all. If your pan has slightly angled sides, arrange the sheets so the excess falls on the same side of the pan and cut the extra off every few layers with a paring knife. Sprinkle about one-third of the filling evenly over the phyllo.

Repeat layering and buttering the remaining sheets from the first pack and sprinkle on another third of the filling. Open, unfold, and cover the second pack of phyllo. Layer and butter it as described above, sprinkling the remaining filling after layering about half the phyllo, and ending with a final layer of phyllo (you may not need all of the butter). Cover loosely and put the pan of baklava in the freezer for 30 minutes (this makes it much easier to cut the pastry).

Bake the baklava:

Position an oven rack in the center of the oven and heat the oven to 350°F.

Before baking, use a thin, sharp knife (I prefer serrated) and a gentle sawing motion to cut the baklava on the diagonal at 1-1/2-inch intervals in a diamond pattern. Try not to compress the pastry by pressing down on it with one hand while cutting with the other. Not only are you cutting serving portions, you are also cutting pathways for the flavored syrup to permeate the pastry, so be sure to cut the pastry all the way to the bottom of the pan. If you have an electric carving knife, this is the perfect time to use it. Bake the baklava until golden, 40 to 45 minutes. Transfer to a rack and let cool completely. Run a knife along the cut lines to help the syrup absorb evenly.

Make the syrup:

Put the sugar and orange juice in a small saucepan and bring to a simmer over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until the sugar is dissolved and the liquid is clear, about 5 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the cardamom. Pour the syrup evenly over the entire surface of the baklava, allowing it to run down into the cut marks and along the sides of the pan. Allow the baklava to cool to room temperature before serving.

Pistachio-Crusted Lamb Chops

Sweet, toasted pistachios and cumin give these chops a Middle-Eastern twist. Because rib chops are so small, they cook under the broiler in almost no time.

• 1 cup unsalted shelled pistachios
• Kosher salt
• 3 Tbs. honey
• 1 Tbs. fresh lemon juice
• 1 tsp. ground cumin
• 1/4 tsp. cayenne
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 12 lamb rib chops (about 1-1/2 lb.)
• 2 Tbs. extra-virgin olive oil

Position a rack about 4 inches from the broiler and heat the broiler on high.


Finely chop the pistachios in a food processor. Combine the pistachios and 1/2 tsp. salt in a small bowl. In another small bowl, use a fork to mix the honey and lemon juice. In a third small bowl, mix the cumin, cayenne, 1 tsp. salt, and 1/2 tsp. pepper.


Brush the lamb chops with the oil and season on both sides with the spice mixture.


Arrange the chops on a foil-lined rimmed baking sheet. Broil until lightly browned, 1 to 2 minutes. Flip and broil until the second sides are lightly browned, 1 to 2 minutes. Remove the baking sheet from the oven, and lower the rack to about 6 inches from the broiler. Using a pastry brush, spread about half of the honey mixture on the top sides of the chops. Sprinkle with about half of the nuts, pressing so that they adhere. Broil until the nuts are lightly toasted, about 30 seconds.


Flip the chops and repeat the honey-nut coating on the other sides. Broil until the nuts are lightly browned and the lamb is medium rare, about 30 seconds. Let the chops rest for about 2 minutes, and then serve, sprinkling any nuts that may have fallen off the lamb onto each portion.

Pistachio-Cranberry Biscotti Straws

• 5-5/8 oz. (1-1/4 cups) all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1 tsp. baking powder
• 1/4 tsp. table salt
• 3/4 cup unsalted shelled pistachio nuts (3-1/2 oz.)
• 1/2 cup sweetened dried cranberries (2-1/2 oz.)
• 1 large egg
• 1 large egg white
• 1 Tbs. finely grated orange zest (from about 2 oranges)
• 1 Tbs. fresh orange juice
• 3/4 tsp. pure vanilla extract

Position a rack in the center of the oven and heat the oven to 325°F. Line a large cookie sheet with parchment or a nonstick baking liner.

In the bowl of an electric stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, mix the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt on low speed until well blended. On low speed (or with a wooden spoon if mixing by hand), briefly mix in the nuts and cranberries.

In a small bowl or a 1-cup glass measure, whisk together the egg, egg white, orange zest, orange juice, and vanilla. With the mixer on low speed, slowly pour in the egg mixture (mix in with the spoon if mixing by hand). Continue mixing (or mixing with a wooden spoon or your hands), until the dough is well blended and forms a sticky, moist dough, 1 to 2 minutes.

Dump the dough onto the lined cookie sheet. Using slightly damp hands, shape the dough into a 7x11-1/2-inch rectangle, wetting your hands as needed. Press and shape the dough as evenly as possible.

Bake until the rectangle is golden brown on top and slightly darker brown around the edges, about 25 minutes. Transfer the cookie sheet to a rack to cool for about 10 minutes or until it can be easily handled.

Transfer the biscotti to a cutting board; use a spatula to loosen it from the parchment if necessary. Using a serrated knife, cut the biscotti crosswise into slices about 1/3 inch thick. (I use a gentle sawing motion to break through the crust. After that, a firm push down on the knife is all that’s needed.) Discard the parchment, return the slices to the cookie sheet, and arrange them with a cut side down. (It’s all right if they touch because they don’t spread.)

Bake until the biscotti are light golden brown and feel dry, about 14 minutes. Transfer the cookie sheet to a rack and cool the biscotti completely; they’ll crisp as they cool.

Apricot & Pistachio Baklava with Orange-Cardamom Syrup

This variation of the classic baklava injects a tart, citrusy note into the sweet, flaky layers.

• 1-lb. “twin pack” phyllo dough (two 8-oz. packs, each containing about twenty 9x14-inch sheets)

For the filling:

• 12 oz. (2-1/2 cups) unsalted, shelled raw pistachios
• 12 oz. (2 cups, packed) dried apricots
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 10 oz. (1-1/4 cups) unsalted butter

Tip:

Use California apricots for a tart, pronounced apricot flavor or Turkish apricots for a sweeter, mellow flavor.

For the syrup:

• 1-1/2 cups granulated sugar
• 2/3 cup orange juice (preferably freshly squeezed)
• 1-1/2 tsp. ground cardamom

Thaw the phyllo overnight in the refrigerator. Then put the phyllo box on the counter to come to room temperature, 1-1/2 to 2 hours.

Make the filling:

Put the pistachios, apricots, and sugar in a food processor. Process until the nuts and apricots are finely chopped (the largest should be the size of small dried lentils), 30 to 45 seconds. Set aside.

Assemble the baklava:

Unfold one pack of the phyllo sheets and stack them so that they lie flat on your work surface. Cover the top with plastic wrap, letting some excess plastic fall over all four edges. Dampen and wring out a kitchen towel and drape it on top of the plastic wrap; this will hold the plastic in place and prevent the phyllo from drying out.

Melt the butter in a small saucepan. Brush the bottom of a 9x13-inch metal pan (preferably with straight sides and a light-color interior to prevent overbrowning on the edges) with some of the butter. Remove a sheet of phyllo from the stack, re-cover the rest (be sure to cover the remaining sheets each time you remove a new one), and put the sheet in the bottom of the pan. Brush the sheet with some of the melted butter but don’t soak the phyllo (remember, you’ll have about 40 layers of buttered phyllo by the time you’re done). Repeat until you have layered and buttered about half the sheets from the first pack—about 10 sheets in all. If your pan has slightly angled sides, arrange the sheets so the excess falls on the same side of the pan and cut the extra off every few layers with a paring knife. Sprinkle about one-third of the filling evenly over the phyllo.

Repeat layering and buttering the remaining sheets from the first pack and sprinkle on another third of the filling. Open, unfold, and cover the second pack of phyllo. Layer and butter it as described above, sprinkling the remaining filling after layering about half the phyllo, and ending with a final layer of phyllo (you may not need all of the butter). Cover loosely and put the pan of baklava in the freezer for 30 minutes (this makes it much easier to cut the pastry).

Bake the baklava:

Position an oven rack in the center of the oven and heat the oven to 350°F.

Before baking, use a thin, sharp knife (I prefer serrated) and a gentle sawing motion to cut the baklava on the diagonal at 1-1/2-inch intervals in a diamond pattern. Try not to compress the pastry by pressing down on it with one hand while cutting with the other. Not only are you cutting serving portions, you are also cutting pathways for the flavored syrup to permeate the pastry, so be sure to cut the pastry all the way to the bottom of the pan. If you have an electric carving knife, this is the perfect time to use it. Bake the baklava until golden, 40 to 45 minutes. Transfer to a rack and let cool completely. Run a knife along the cut lines to help the syrup absorb evenly.

Make the syrup:

Put the sugar and orange juice in a small saucepan and bring to a simmer over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until the sugar is dissolved and the liquid is clear, about 5 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the cardamom. Pour the syrup evenly over the entire surface of the baklava, allowing it to run down into the cut marks and along the sides of the pan. Allow the baklava to cool to room temperature before serving.

Parmigiano-Pistachio Frico

These delicate cheese crisps are a perfect pre-dinner nibble, ideally with a glass of something sparkling. You’ll need a lot of cheese to make them—grinding it in a food processor is a great time-saver.

• 6 oz. Parmigiano-Reggiano, finely ground in a food processor (1-1/2 cups)
• 1-1/2 oz. (1/4 cup) shelled pistachios, coarsely chopped

Position a rack in the center of the oven and heat the oven to 350°F.

Line two large baking sheets with parchment. Sprinkle 1 scant Tbs. of the cheese on the parchment in a line 4-inches long and 1-inch wide. Repeat to make more lines spaced about 1-1/2 inches apart (12 on each sheet). Bake 1 sheet for 7 minutes; then remove from the oven and sprinkle each frico with about 1/2 tsp. of the pistachios. Return to the oven and bake until bubbling and golden, 3 to 5 minutes more. Transfer the parchment to a rack and gently loosen the frico from the parchment with a thin metal spatula.  Repeat with the other sheet. Let cool completely before serving.

Apricot, Pistachio & Chocolate-Chip Bars

The trick to ensuring the right amount of crispiness in these bake sale favorites is partially baking the bottom layer before adding the sweet apricot filling and texture-rich crumb topping.  

• 9 oz. (2 cups) all purpose flour
• 1-1/4 cups old-fashioned oats
• 1 cup packed dark brown sugar
• 1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp. table salt
• 8 oz. (1 cup) chilled unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
• 4 oz. (about 1 cup) chopped, shelled natural pistachios
• 1/2 cup diced dried apricots
• 1/2 cup white chocolate or semisweet chocolate morsels
• 15-1/4-oz. jar apricot preserves

Tip:

For the best results, measure your flour by weight instead of volume. (1 cup of all-purpose flour equals 4-1/2 oz.) If you don’t have a scale, be sure to use the proper technique when filling your measuring cups.

Heat the oven to 325°F. With an electric mixer, combine the flour, oats, sugar, cinnamon, and salt; mix on low speed until well combined. Add the butter and mix on medium until the butter is mostly blended and the mixture appears moist and begins to pull together, about 3 minutes. Stir in the pistachios. Reserve 1-1/2 cups of this crumb mixture, stir the dried apricots and chocolate morsels into it, and refrigerate.

Firmly press the remaining mixture into the bottom of an ungreased 13x9-inch baking pan. Bake in the middle of the oven for 25 minutes. Let cool for about 20 minutes (leave the oven on). Spread the apricot preserves evenly on top, leaving a 1/8-inch border around the edge of the crust.

Crumble the reserved crumb mixture over the apricot preserves. Return to the oven and bake until lightly browned and the fruit filling is bubbling all over, including the center of the pan, 35 to 40 minutes. Let cool completely before slicing into 18 bars (or into smaller pieces, if you like).

Classic Baklava

• 1-lb. “twin pack” phyllo dough (two 8-oz. packs, each containing about twenty 9x14-inch sheets)

For the filling:

• 1 lb. unsalted shelled pistachios or almonds, preferably raw
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1 tsp. ground cinnamon
• 1 tsp. ground cardamom

• 10 oz. (1-1/4 cups) unsalted butter

For the syrup:

• 1-1/2 cups granulated sugar
• 1-1/2 tsp. orange flower water (optional; see our ingredient profile for more information)

Thaw the phyllo overnight in the refrigerator. Then put the phyllo box on the counter to come to room temperature, 1-1/2 to 2 hours.

Make the filling:

Put the pistachios, sugar, cinnamon, and cardamom in a food processor. Process until the nuts are finely chopped (the largest should be the size of small dried lentils), 15 to 20 seconds. Set aside.

Assemble the baklava:

Unfold one pack of the phyllo sheets and stack them so that they lie flat on your work surface. Cover the top with plastic wrap, letting some excess plastic fall over all four edges. Dampen and wring out a kitchen towel and drape it on top of the plastic wrap; this will hold the plastic in place and prevent the phyllo from drying out.

Melt the butter in a small saucepan. Brush the bottom of a 9x13-inch metal pan (preferably with straight sides and a light-color interior to prevent overbrowning on the edges) with some of the butter. Remove a sheet of phyllo from the stack, re-cover the rest (be sure to cover the remaining sheets each time you remove a new one), and put the sheet in the bottom of the pan.

Brush the sheet with some of the melted butter but don’t soak the phyllo (remember, you’ll have about 40 layers of buttered phyllo by the time you’re done). Repeat until you have layered and buttered about half the sheets from the first pack—about 10 sheets in all. If your pan has slightly angled sides, arrange the sheets so the excess falls on the same side of the pan and cut the extra off every few layers with a paring knife.

Sprinkle about one-third of the filling evenly over the phyllo.

Repeat layering and buttering the remaining sheets from the first pack and sprinkle on another third of the filling. Open, unfold, and cover the second pack of phyllo. Layer and butter it as described above, sprinkling the remaining filling after layering about half the phyllo, and ending with a final layer of phyllo (you may not need all of the butter). Cover loosely and put the pan of baklava in the freezer for 30 minutes (this makes it much easier to cut the pastry).

Bake the baklava:

Position an oven rack in the center of the oven and heat the oven to 350°F.

Before baking, use a thin, sharp knife (I prefer serrated) and a gentle sawing motion to cut the baklava on the diagonal at 11/2-inch intervals in a diamond pattern. Try not to compress the pastry by pressing down on it with one hand while cutting with the other. Not only are you cutting serving portions, you are also cutting pathways for the flavored syrup to permeate the pastry, so be sure to cut the pastry all the way to the bottom of the pan. If you have an electric carving knife, this is the perfect time to use it.

Bake the baklava until golden, 40 to 45 minutes. Transfer to a rack and let cool completely. If making one of the variations below, run a knife along the cut lines. (Both variations contain sticky ingredients that can seal the cuts shut during baking, making it difficult for the syrup to be absorbed evenly.)

Make the syrup:

Put the sugar and 2/3 cup water in a small saucepan and bring to a simmer over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until the sugar is dissolved and the liquid is clear, about 5 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the orange flower water (if using).

Pour the syrup evenly over the entire surface of the baklava, allowing it to run down into the cut marks and along the sides of the pan. Allow the baklava to cool to room temperature before serving.

Brown Rice Salad with Basil & Pistachios

Cooking brown rice by the pasta method is quick and results in tender, separate grains with a nice chewy bite. The golden raising in the dressing give this dish a hint of sweetness.

• 1 cup uncooked long-grain brown rice
• 1/2 cup golden raisins
• 1/4 cup plus 2 Tbs.mild-tasting olive oil
• 1/4 cup red-wine vinegar
• 1/2 cup raw unsalted pistachio nuts
• 1 small red onion, finely diced
• 4 medium to large cloves garlic, finely diced
• 1 15-oz. can chickpeas, drained, and rinsed
• 1 medium red bell pepper, cored, seeded, and finely diced
• 1 tsp. kosher or fine sea salt; more to taste
• 1 tsp. crushed red chile flakes
• 1/2 cup firmly packed fresh basil leaves, cut into thin strips (chiffonade)

Fill a medium saucepan with water and bring it to a boil over high heat. Add the rice and return to a boil. Cook, uncovered, until the rice grains are cooked and tender but still a little chewy, 20 to 25 min. Drain the rice through a sieve and rinse with cold water to stop the cooking. Set aside.

While the rice is cooking, purée the raisins, 1/4  cup of the oil, and the vinegar in a blender, scraping the jar as needed, to make a thick, smooth vinaigrette.

Heat a 10-inch skillet over medium- high heat and toast the pistachios, stirring frequently, until they brown in spots and give off a strong nutty aroma, about 2  min. Transfer them to a cutting board. When cool enough to touch, chop them coarsely.

Heat the remaining 2 Tbs. oil in the same skillet over medium-high heat until very hot. Stir-fry the onion and garlic until honey brown, 2 to 3 min. Scrape this into a large bowl along with the pistachios, vinaigrette, chickpeas, bell pepper, salt, and red chile flakes. Add the rice to the bowl and fold the ingredients together. The salad can be served at room temperature or chilled. Just before serving, fold in the basil, taste, and season with more salt, if you like.

Brown Rice Salad with Basil & Pistachios

Cooking brown rice by the pasta method is quick and results in tender, separate grains with a nice chewy bite. The golden raising in the dressing give this dish a hint of sweetness.

• 1 cup uncooked long-grain brown rice
• 1/2 cup golden raisins
• 1/4 cup plus 2 Tbs.mild-tasting olive oil
• 1/4 cup red-wine vinegar
• 1/2 cup raw unsalted pistachio nuts
• 1 small red onion, finely diced
• 4 medium to large cloves garlic, finely diced
• 1 15-oz. can chickpeas, drained, and rinsed
• 1 medium red bell pepper, cored, seeded, and finely diced
• 1 tsp. kosher or fine sea salt; more to taste
• 1 tsp. crushed red chile flakes
• 1/2 cup firmly packed fresh basil leaves, cut into thin strips (chiffonade)

Fill a medium saucepan with water and bring it to a boil over high heat. Add the rice and return to a boil. Cook, uncovered, until the rice grains are cooked and tender but still a little chewy, 20 to 25 min. Drain the rice through a sieve and rinse with cold water to stop the cooking. Set aside.

While the rice is cooking, purée the raisins, 1/4  cup of the oil, and the vinegar in a blender, scraping the jar as needed, to make a thick, smooth vinaigrette.

Heat a 10-inch skillet over medium- high heat and toast the pistachios, stirring frequently, until they brown in spots and give off a strong nutty aroma, about 2  min. Transfer them to a cutting board. When cool enough to touch, chop them coarsely.

Heat the remaining 2 Tbs. oil in the same skillet over medium-high heat until very hot. Stir-fry the onion and garlic until honey brown, 2 to 3 min. Scrape this into a large bowl along with the pistachios, vinaigrette, chickpeas, bell pepper, salt, and red chile flakes. Add the rice to the bowl and fold the ingredients together. The salad can be served at room temperature or chilled. Just before serving, fold in the basil, taste, and season with more salt, if you like.

Apricot, Pistachio & Chocolate-Chip Bars

The trick to ensuring the right amount of crispiness in these bake sale favorites is partially baking the bottom layer before adding the sweet apricot filling and texture-rich crumb topping.  

• 9 oz. (2 cups) all purpose flour
• 1-1/4 cups old-fashioned oats
• 1 cup packed dark brown sugar
• 1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp. table salt
• 8 oz. (1 cup) chilled unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
• 4 oz. (about 1 cup) chopped, shelled natural pistachios
• 1/2 cup diced dried apricots
• 1/2 cup white chocolate or semisweet chocolate morsels
• 15-1/4-oz. jar apricot preserves

Tip:

For the best results, measure your flour by weight instead of volume. (1 cup of all-purpose flour equals 4-1/2 oz.) If you don’t have a scale, be sure to use the proper technique when filling your measuring cups.

Heat the oven to 325°F. With an electric mixer, combine the flour, oats, sugar, cinnamon, and salt; mix on low speed until well combined. Add the butter and mix on medium until the butter is mostly blended and the mixture appears moist and begins to pull together, about 3 minutes. Stir in the pistachios. Reserve 1-1/2 cups of this crumb mixture, stir the dried apricots and chocolate morsels into it, and refrigerate.

Firmly press the remaining mixture into the bottom of an ungreased 13x9-inch baking pan. Bake in the middle of the oven for 25 minutes. Let cool for about 20 minutes (leave the oven on). Spread the apricot preserves evenly on top, leaving a 1/8-inch border around the edge of the crust.

Crumble the reserved crumb mixture over the apricot preserves. Return to the oven and bake until lightly browned and the fruit filling is bubbling all over, including the center of the pan, 35 to 40 minutes. Let cool completely before slicing into 18 bars (or into smaller pieces, if you like).