Apricot Walnut Cookies

There’s something so special about a recipe that travels through a family. Maureen Abood, contributor to The Mediterranean Dish and author of the book, Lebanese Baking, shares her Grandmother’s recipe for Apricot Walnut Cookies—a family favorite all of her cousins swear by, and now Maureen is sharing it with you.
These apricot cookies take a little time—especially the chilling time—but the hands-on work is simple, and the payoff is a big batch of soft, fragrant cookies. Buttery brown sugar cookie dough scented with nutmeg is punctuated with the tart sweetness of chewy dried apricots and plenty of toasted walnuts.

These chewy cookies are definitely on the richer side, which makes them a lovely special-occasion cookie. A recipe like this, with history and heart baked right in, is absolutely worth savoring. I’m certain it will become a favorite for you, too!

How to Make Apricot Walnut Cookies

Prepare the cookie dough

• Toast the walnuts: Preheat the oven to 350°F (177°C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. On the baking sheet, spread 1 cup walnuts in a single layer and bake until the nuts become fragrant and turn golden brown, 10 to 12 minutes. Remove the nuts from the oven and let them cool to room temperature, 30 minutes.
• Prep the fruit and nuts. Coarsely chop 1 cup dried apricots and finely chop 1 cup walnuts.
• Begin the cookie dough. In the large bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, add the apricots, walnuts, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, 1 cup light brown sugar (213 grams), 1 cup granulated white sugar (200 grams), and 1 cup room-temperature unsalted butter (226 grams). Set the mixer speed to medium and beat until the mixture fully combines.
• Mix the dry ingredients and combine. In another medium mixing bowl, whisk together 4 cups unbleached all-­purpose flour (480 grams), 4 teaspoons baking powder (16 grams), 1 teaspoon fine sea salt (6 grams), and 1 teaspoon ground nutmeg (2 grams). Add the flour mixture to the fruit mixture and mix on low speed just until combined.
• Add the eggs. Lightly beat 3 large eggs, add them to the bowl, and mix on medium speed for 1 minute to combine thoroughly.
• Add the baking soda. In a small bowl, dissolve 1 teaspoon baking soda (6 grams) in 1 tablespoon hot water (120°F, 49°C) (14 grams). Add the mixture to the batter and beat on medium speed for 30 seconds.
• Chill the dough. Scrape the dough down and cover with plastic wrap, pressing it tightly around the dough. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours and up to 3 days.

Shape and bake

• Get ready to bake. Arrange an oven rack in the middle position and preheat the oven to 350°F (177°C). Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
• Form the cookies. Spoon about 42 grams (2 tablespoons) of the dough, roll it into a ball, and place it on one of the prepared baking sheets. Repeat with the rest of the dough, placing the balls 2 inches (5 cm) apart.
• Bake the cookies. One sheet at a time, bake until the cookies turn golden brown, 12 to 14 minutes.
• Cool and serve. On the baking sheets, let the cookies cool for 10 minutes, then transfer them to a cooling rack to cool to room temperature before serving.

Make it Your Own

• Swap the fruit: Maureen’s mother used dried apricots in her cookies, but her grandmother’s original recipe calls for chopped dates and raisins. Swap the apricots for either of those or your favorite dried fruits. Dried figs, plums, or cherries would all give the cookies a different flavor profile while keeping their chewy texture.
• Try different nuts: Use pistachios, pecans, or almonds in place of walnuts. For those with nut allergies, feel free to omit them! I think these cookies would be just as delicious without any nuts at all. 
• Add warm spices: You can tweak the flavor profile of these cookies dramatically by substituting the nutmeg for ground cinnamon, cardamom, ginger, or allspice, or use a baking spice blend. 
• Add chocolate: For a super indulgent treat, these cookies would be especially delicious with a handful or two of white chocolate chips mixed in. 
• Make them smaller: Maureen’s original recipe calls for 2 tablespoon cookie dough balls, which bake up into 3- to 4-inch cookies. We found when we tested the recipe that smaller, 1 tablespoon cookie dough balls baked up just fine. Roll smaller dough balls and reduce the bake time slightly to create smaller cookies perfect for gifting or serving on a dessert board. The dough will make about 60 cookies.