Shelly's Recipe

Apricot Slab Pie

Category: Pies - Fruit

2 cups  flour, divided
1 cup  cold butter, divided
6 oz.  (3/4 of 8-oz. pkg.) Cream Cheese, cubed
4 cans  (15.2 oz. each) apricot halves in heavy syrup, undrained
3 Tbsp.  MINUTE Tapioca
1 tsp.  almond extract
1/4 cup  packed brown sugar
1/2 cup  PLANTERS Sliced Almonds

PLACE 1-1/2 cups flour in large bowl. Cut 3/4 cup butter into small cubes. Add to flour with cream cheese; cut with pastry blender or 2 knives until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Shape dough into ball; cut in half. Flatten each half into disk; wrap tightly with plastic wrap. Refrigerate 1 hour.

PLACE 1 disk between 2 lightly floured sheets of waxed paper; roll into 11x8-inch rectangle. Repeat with remaining dough, using 2 additional sheets of waxed paper. Place dough rectangles, with long sides together, on work surface. Discard top sheets of waxed paper. Spray 15x10x3/4-inch pan with cooking spray; invert over dough. Flip pan, holding pan and both pieces of dough together. Remove and discard waxed paper. Gently press dough onto bottom and up sides of pan, pinching seam together in center to seal.

HEAT oven to 400ºF. Drain apricots, reserving 1 cup syrup; place apricots in medium bowl. Add tapioca, extract and reserved syrup; mix lightly. Spoon into crust. Combine sugar, nuts and remaining flour in medium bowl. Cube remaining butter; cut into sugar mixture until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Sprinkle over apricot mixture. BAKE 40 min. or until crust is lightly browned, and apricot mixture is hot and bubbly. Cool before cutting into bars.