DOUBLE CHOCOLATE APRICOT & NUT BARS: indulgence; high fibre

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Perfect for leftover fruit and nuts from Christmas...

A bit crumbly but rich, fruity, nutty & chocolatey 

from leftover Christmas fruit 'n nuts

'Very very nice and pleasingly versatile.'

Clearing out cupboards as spring approaches is great for creating new recipes.

No one can afford to throw away perfectly decent food these days, and dried fruit and nuts leftover from Christmas easily morph into mouthweatering traybakes or cookies.  Or both.   

Double Chocolate Apricot and Nut Bars are an indulgence but are also high fibre and healthier.  And they taste really really fabulous.

You can easily substitute other dried fruit/s for apricots -- glace cherries, apricots, prunes, dates and sultanas -- and the choice of nuts is yours. 67 used a combo of brazil and hazelnuts but several types of nut or a single nut is fine.  

Depending on the size of your tin, there might be enough dough left over for cookies as well as bars.

Cost:  depends on the cupboard but from scratch, about £5
Makes: 20-32 fingers

Ingreds:

115gm/4.05oz toasted, cooled and coarsely chopped nuts (any or all of hazel, brazil, almonds, walnuts, pistachio)

180g/6.3oz oats (if jumbo, coarsely whizz in processer) 

120g/4.2 oz plain white flour +30g/1 oz unsweetened cocoa

1 tsp baking soda

3/4 tsp salt

1 tbsp cinnamon

167g/5.8oz soft butter

EITHER 215gm/7.5oz light brown sugar (OR TO REDUCE SWEETNESS  175g/generous 6 oz light brown sugar plus 40g ground almonds)

2 large eggs

1 tsp vanilla      

1 c white chocolate chips (dark chocolate is fine but 67 prefers the creaminess & contrasting colour )

3/4 cup dried apricots,  in good sized chunks (ie each apricot in 4-6  pieces) 

1/2 cup unsweetened coconut

          Optional topping: drizzle of melted dark or white Chocolate   

Method: 

1. Pour hot or boiling water over dried fruit; rest 2-3 mins; drain & dry with paper towels
2. Line a 9x13inch/23x33cm cake pan with greaseproof paper
3. Preheat oven to 170c/340C
4. Toast nuts 5 mins  at 180C/350F; (watch them like a hawk; they burn easily); cool; coarsely chop by hand
5. Hand whisk oats, flour, cocoa, baking soda, salt, cinnamon and, if using, ground almonds in a medium bowl
6. In a large bowl, use electric beaters to mix butter & sugar until light & fluffy, 2-3 mins
7. On low speed, beat in eggs one at a time, scraping down sides of bowl; add vanilla; beat on low till blended  
8. Slowly beat in half the flour mixture
9. One at a time and using a large spoon, mix in apricots, chocolate chips, coconut & nuts, distributing as evenly as possible; at the end, use electric beaters on high speed for a minute or so 
10. Beat in rest of dry ingredients on low (the dough will become thick & unwieldy)
11. Dollop into the baking tray; spread the dough to the corners & edges; smooth top (It should be 4-5cm/1.5-2inches deep; it's a tray bake, not a cake.  If you haven't the right size tin and there is leftover dough, form into cookies for freezing or/and baking later in the air-fryer at 170C'340F bake for 11 mins OR  oven at 180C/350Ffor 12-13 mins)
12. Bake 20-25 mins; the centre should be a bit squidgy but will continue cooking 
13. Cool completely
14. THEN EITHER : a) Cut into portions immediately (20-32 bars ) OR b)Freeze whole; when needed defrost overnight & drizzle over icing before cutting portions
15. If you like, melt some white or dark chocolate and drizzle over before serving

Comments:

Tray-bake:

'Very nice -- a great combo. The cake-like interior is rich and fine-crumbed; the coconut adds a lovely layer of flavour and texture to the chocolatey fruit & nuts. Great to have so many alternative ingredients.' Retired writer

Cookies: 

'Chocolate! Mmm. These are adoreable; I love the crunch on the outside and the middles are really light.' Political Agent

'Wow! That is unbelievable, really really good. The contrast of crunch and softness is just great.'  American political intern

Tip:

White chocolate chips are available at major supermarkets like Waitrose, or on-line 

 Please leave a comment in the box below

This recipe has been adapted by B M Lee/ Bright Sun Enterprises.  It may not be reproduced without the author's written permission.