Perfect for leftover fruit and nuts from Christmas...
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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.
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 cocoa1 tsp baking soda3/4 tsp salt1 tbsp cinnamon167g/5.8oz soft butterEITHER 215gm/7.5oz light brown sugar (OR TO REDUCE SWEETNESS 175g/generous 6 oz light brown sugar plus 40g ground almonds)2 large eggs1 tsp vanilla1 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:
