Apricot Pastries - cooking recipe

Ingredients

2 cups dried apricots
1 package dry yeast
2 cups water, for cooking the apricots in
3/4 cup milk
3 cups flour
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1 tablespoon sugar
1 egg, slightly beaten
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup shortening
powdered sugar, for sprinkling on top
For Dusting Surface
3/4 cup powdered sugar, mixed with
1/4 cup flour

Preparation

Preheat oven to 350\u00b0.
For Apricots: Cook apricots in water till tender, then cool. Set aside. *Note: Apricots will soak up all of the 2 cups of water, there should be no water left. If apricots are still not tender when the water has been absorbed, add more water by the tablespoon full. Do not over water. *Note Apricots from a box may be tart, add small amount of sugar to sweeten. For best results use dried apricots found in the produce section usually in celophane bags.
For Pastry Crust: Sift together flour, sugar and salt.
Cut in shortening with pastry cutter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs.
Scald milk and let it cool till it is just warm.
Add yeast to milk and let soften.
Add egg and vanilla to milk mixture.
Add milk mixture to the flour mixture.
Mix well.
Divide dough into four parts.
Form each part of dough into a square.
On a surface well dusted with the powdered sugar/flour mixture, roll one part of the dough at a time to make 4 ten inch squares.
Cut each square into sixteen 21/2-inch squares.
Forming the Pastries: Place heaping teaspoons of apricots in center of each individual square.
Pinch two opposite corners together.
Place two inches apart on greased cookie sheet.
Let stand ten minutes. *Note: Most yeast recipes require the dough to be left to rise. This 10 minutes to stand after forming the pastry is the only rising this recipe requires.
Bake at 350\u00b0 for ten to twelve minutes.
Remove at once from pan to cool on rack.
Sprinkle with powdered sugar.