Apricots…All Year Long
This recipe begins with a gift from a colleague. A lovely gift: a bag of dried Blenheim apricots! I love all dried fruit, but never tasted a Blenheim. A quick search revealed that Blenheim apricots came from Europe and landed in California about 150 years ago. They were grown primarily in Sacramento and are unfortunately on the decline due to more profitable varieties crowding the market. Due to the very short growing season and limited fresh availability, much of the crop is dried. These moist halves are great as snacks, for dipping in dark chocolate, chopped and added to side dishes such as rice or couscous or incorporating into salads and baked goods. Apricots are a wonderful source of vitamin A and C and contain about 3 grams of fiber per serving (about 6 dried apricot halves).
Blending dried fruits with nuts is a delicious way to increase fiber intake and provide filling nutritious snack options. I combined dried apricots and prunes with walnuts to create these Fall Fruit N Fiber Bars. They are very easy, store well and are completely satisfying with a cup of coffee for breakfast or a snack and will meet sweet tooth requirements after dinner.
Get out your food processor and whip some up.
Fall Fruit N Fiber Bars
Ingredients:
- 16 Blenheim dried apricots
- 16 dried prunes
- 2 cups California walnuts
- Pinch of salt (if desired)
Directions:
- Process apricots and 1 cup of walnuts. Press into an 8 x 8 inch pan using a rubber scraper to get every bit out of the processor. I used my Jimmy Kimmel spatula but any will work.
- Rinse and dry food processor and do the same with the walnuts and prunes. Press this mixture evenly over apricot-walnuts.
- Cut into desired portions and enjoy.
