This is a simple and elegant pie to make for any occasion. This recipe uses canned apricots and apricot preserves for convenience. You can make this pre-made pie crust to speed up the recipe but the crust in this recipe is also very simple and is made with graham cracker crumbs, sugar, butter, and almonds. Once the pie crust is baked, the filling is added to the pie and you no longer need to bake the filling. The pie is chilled in the fridge and served cold. The bottom of the pie crust is covered with apricot preserves, while the canned apricot halves are chopped and combined with gelatin, lemon juice, sugar, salt, and eggs. The result is a light and creamy filling and a crumbly sweet crust. Make this for your special someone.

You can buy canned apricots and apricot preserves in the grocery or supermarket or you can make these when apricots are in season so you can store them for a longer period and make apricot pie any time of the year. Fresh apricots have a taut texture and get softer and more delicate when they are canned and soaked in syrup or made into preserves. Since the filling is not baked in this recipe, it is best to use canned and apricot preserves rather than the fresh variety. If you are using fresh apricots, however, cook them first in the pan with some sugar syrup to soften them and then allow them to cool and come to room temperature before adding them to the rest of the ingredients. Reserve the syrup for use in making the filling.

If you are using canned apricots, drain the apricots from the syrup but reserve the syrup for use in the recipe. Chop the apricots into half an inch cubes before adding it to the egg and gelatin mixture. Get your potato soup recipes here.

1 2/3 cups graham cracker crumbs
¼ cup granulated sugar
¼ cup butter, softened
¼ cup chopped almonds
1/3 cup apricot preserves
1 lb. 1 oz. apricot halves, drained but with syrup reserved
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 envelope unflavored gelatin
2/3 cup granulated sugar
¼ teaspoon salt
4 eggs, separated

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. In a bowl, stir together the crumbs, sugar, butter, and almonds. Press this mixture firmly on the bottom and sides of a 9 in. pie plate. Bake for 8 minutes. Remove from the oven and cool on a wire rack.

Spoon the apricot preserves into the pie crust, spreading them around the bottom. Chop the apricots halves.

In the top of a double broiler, stir together ½ cup of the apricot syrup and the lemon juice. Sprinkle the gelatin over this mixture and let it stand 5 minutes. Mix in 1/3 cup sugar, salt, and the egg yolks. Cook over hot water, stirring constantly until mixture is thickened and coats a metal spoon. Remove from the heat and stir in the chopped apricots. Cover and refrigerate until thickened.

In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat the egg whites until foamy. Little by little, add 1/3 cup of sugar. Beat until egg whites are stiff, then fold into the apricot-gelatin mixture. Pour the filling into the pie shell and refrigerate for 4 hours.