When choosing a filling for cookies or pastries, using the right recipe is important. While it may be tempting to use jam or preserves to fill your baked treats, the texture is generally too thin for this purpose. A filling needs to be thick to stand up to the high heat of baking. This apricot filling known as lekvar (apricot butter) is perfect for filling hamantaschen, cookies, kolaches, or pastries.
This filling is so easy to make, and the results are scrumptious. Apricot doesn’t need much “dressing up”– the sweetness of a baked cookie or pastry combined with this succulent, slightly tart filling make for a truly special treat. I love using this filling for hamantaschen, the traditional Jewish cookie for the holiday Purim. It also works really well for kolaches. You can use it to fill danishes, swirl it through sweet baked cakes (strudel or apricot babka anyone?), or use it as a spreadable apricot butter. So many possibilities!
Need a delicious and foolproof hamantaschen dough recipe? For my Dairy Free Hamantaschen dough, click here. For my Buttery Hamantaschen dough, click here. To learn how to make kolaches, click here.
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Apricot Filling for Cookies, Pastries, Hamantaschen and Kolaches
Ingredients
- 2 cups dried pitted apricots
- 1 cup water
- 1/4 cup orange juice
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- Pinch salt
Instructions
- Combine all of the ingredients in a saucepan. Stir and bring to a boil for one minute.Reduce heat to medium low so the mixture simmers slowly and constantly. Cover the pot.Let the mixture simmer covered for 30 minutes, stirring every few minutes.
- Remove the lid from the pan. Let the apricots continue to simmer for 2-3 more minutes, stirring frequently, until most of the liquid has evaporated/absorbed. Keep a close eye on the pan to make sure the apricots don't burn. When there are about 3 tbsp of liquid left in the pan, remove from heat.
- Mash the apricots with a potato masher till a smooth puree forms. Run a fork through the mixture to break up any pieces the potato masher missed. You can also use an immersion blender for a smoother puree, if desired.
- Let cool to room temperature before using. Store in a sealed, airtight container in the refrigerator. Refrigerating the filling to chill completely will make it easier to work with when filling cookies like hamantaschen.
Seth Fishman says
I was looking to do Raspberry Hamantaschen, can i use the same recipe but just swap it out, or should i do something different.
Thanks
Seth
Tori Avey says
Hi Seth, preparing fresh raspberries for filling would be a different recipe entirely. I can’t give you a recommendation because I don’t have a recipe posted with fresh raspberry filling yet; it is something I would need to test.
Rivka says
So glad I found this making it for my hamentashen right now thanks a ton!
Marci says
Hi, could you share a receipe for cherry filling? Thanks, Marci
Jason F says
Yes please, I would love one for cherry!
Debbie Kravitz says
I’d like to make the dairy free dough in advance, keep it refrigerated and roll it out with friends in two nights from now. Will the dough dry out and be unusable or too difficult to work with if its refrigerated for two nights? I’m excited to make hamentashen that actually stay closed. I’m cooking the apricots as I write you. Yum!
Tori Avey says
Two nights should be fine, but don’t let it sit much longer than that. I wouldn’t go past 3 days, otherwise it will start to get dry and harder to work with.
Carole Cohen says
Came out absolutely delicious. How long can this stay in the refrigerator before using? Just wondering because I made linzer tart cookies but didn’t use all the apricot filling.
JudiAU says
I tried this as a filling for kifli and the texture was very nice. Thank you. I think I will cut the sugar a bit next time and felt it needed a bit more lemon at the end.
Sara says
I made this last week for Purim – it was amazing! This filling and your dough made the best hamantaschen I have ever made. I have been making hamantaschen for years, lost my recipe, and found yours – my new favorite. Thanks so much.
Anita says
Did you know that the “lekvar” word means “jam” in Hungarian language? 🙂
Cara says
This will be my first time making the Hamantaschen but the second time celebrating Purim. I have 2 other beautiful ladies that will be making these with me for the first time as well and will be their first at celebrating Purim. We are expecting 50 people to celebrate with us and I guess what I need to know is….how many cookies will each batch make approximately?
Thank you,
Cara
Tori Avey says
If using a teaspoon of filling per cookie, a batch of this filling will make approximately 96 cookies, give or take.
DanielleT. says
My fiancée always talked about the cookies his friends mother made during this time of year (we aren’t Jewish). After a little research I was able to figure out that these were the ones! I too had problems getting the proper consistency with just a potato masher. However….these cookies are wonderful and looked beautiful! I had not one open up on me, which all the sites I visted complained about. There is currently a second batch in the works right now! I am also trying a raspberry filling that I found online. I plan on substituting these as linzers as well, since my son doesn’t eat nuts. Thank you so much! I also used this recipe as my excuse to buy an immersion blender, which I have wanted for a while but had no real reason to buy…until now! 🙂
Renee D says
This looks great! If I wanted to use this for a Sunday school lesson on Purim, could I simmer the apricots beforehand, and then have the kids simmer them for just a short time? Making them wait for 30 minutes is not going to fly with 7-year-olds!
Thank you 🙂
Nicole says
I’d like to try and make these gluten free so my sister can eat some. Do you have any recommendations for cooking (timing for example)?
Tori Avey says
Nicole, please go to the cookie recipe itself and read through the comments. I don’t have any specific advice on making them gluten free, but some readers have tried it and reported back their results, so the comments may be helpful.
Dennis says
Tori,
Thank you for the wonderful recipes and comments. I know how much work a website can be! I made this last Tuesday and it worked perfectly the first time. One small thing though, when I went to mash them the potato masher or fork just would not do the job — the food processor did. Perfect! The hamantachen were great too. Thanks again.
Tori Avey says
Great Dennis!
Ahuva B says
Hi Tori,
I love your blog!
last year i made hamentaschen and it was a disaster. this year, i made yours. the dough recipe is so great and easy to work with. I added ginger to the apricot filling. so yummy
Tori Avey says
Fabulous Ahuva! 🙂 That’s great to hear.
Nicki says
Hi. Do you have any recipes for strawberry or raspberry fillings? Can I just thicken up preserves with cornstarch? Thanks!
Tori Avey says
Hi Nicki– I have a strawberry topping recipe that might be modified: http://theshiksa.com/2010/05/21/strawberry-topping/ As it’s written at that link it is too thin for filling, for hamantschen you really need a thick filling that won’t leak out or make the cookies spread. Perhaps you could cook it down till most of the liquid has evaporated, so it becomes more like a thick jam? I will try to add a strawberry topping to the website next year. I know it’s popular.
Molly says
I made this tonight, and it might be my new favorite filling. I used mango nectar instead of orange juice because it was cheaper at the store, and it added nicely to the flavor. Thanks for the recipe!
Tori Avey says
Fabulous Molly! Great idea on the mango nectar.
Tracy says
I made this filling for Martha Stewart’s apricot almond thumbprints……amazing as always! How long will the remainder of unused filling last in the fridge?
Tori Avey says
Hi Tracy, it will last about 1 week. After that, the texture tends to dry out a bit, so I usually don’t keep it longer than a week.
Allen says
Depending on your dietary restrictions, try this: roast some walnuts or pecans (7 minutes at 350 degrees), chop, mix with the purée and use as a filling in puff pastry for turnovers. Or, mix apricot with garbanzo beans, some torn mint or cilantro and use as a topping on tomatoes or salads. Enjoy!
carrie says
I made the dairy free hamentaschen tonight with the apricot filling (YUM!), but I have about 3/4 C of filling left over. Can you recommend any recipes so that I can use it up this week? I’m sure it would be great with chicken, but I am a vegetarian. Any other thoughts? Thanks in advance!
Tori Avey says
So sorry I’m late on getting back to you here. I know this can’t help you because this comment was left a few months ago, but for others in the same situation here’s an answer– this filling works great in thumbprint cookies or as a general pastry filling. I also think it would be lovely in cheese blintzes to add a burst of apricot sweetness in the center. If you eat fish, you can loosen it with a bit of hot water and use it to glaze salmon. If not, I would stick to sweet baked dishes instead of savory… baked desserts, danishes, etc. It would also be nice on top of vanilla ice cream!
Judith says
This filling is also fantastic atop pancakes or ice cream, or even as a pie filling for regular pies. Loosen it up *a little* with apple juice as a wonderful glaze on baked squashes (acorn is one I like), maybe with some sweet spices such as cardamom, cinnamon, and so on. Add about a tablespoon to a quarter- to half-cup of soy sauce-based dip for your vegetarian potstickers or spring rolls. And so on. 🙂
Tori Avey says
Great suggestions Judith!
Renee K says
This is awesome, thanks!