Apricot Chocolate Bars

These bars combine two of my favorite foods, chocolate and apricots, to produce a chewy, decadent dessert. If you’re eating nut free, substitute crunchy rice cereal for the pecans and omit step 3.

6     ounces dried apricots (about 1 cup firmly packed), chopped fine
¼    cup granulated sugar
¾    cup water
1     teaspoon vanilla
1⅓  cups pecans (about 4 ounces)
1     cup all-purpose gluten-free flour blend
1     teaspoon xanthan gum
⅔     cup firmly packed light brown sugar
½     teaspoon salt
⅔     cup semi-sweet gluten-free chocolate chips**
½     cup (1 stick) cold unsalted butter, cut into bits
        Confectioner’s sugar  

1. To make apricot filling, combine apricots, granulated sugar and water in 11/2-quart heavy saucepan over medium-high heat. Cover and simmer for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove lid and continue to simmer, stirring and mashing apricots until excess liquid is evaporated and filling thickens. Stir in vanilla. Set filling aside.

2. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line an 8-inch square baking pan with aluminum foil, leaving a 2 to 3-inch overhang on two opposite ends. Spray foil with vegetable oil.  

3. On a separate baking sheet, toast pecans in the preheated oven until golden brown, about 5 to 7 minutes. Let cool.  

4. In a food processor, pulse pecans, flour, xanthan gum, brown sugar and salt until mixture is coarsely chopped. Add chocolate chips and butter and pulse until mixture resembles coarse crumbs.

5. Press half the chocolate chip mixture onto the bottom of prepared pan.

6. Spread apricot filling evenly over chocolate chip mixture.

7. Crumble remaining chocolate chip mixture evenly over apricot filling, pressing down slightly.

8. Bake bars in preheated oven 1 hour or until golden. Remove pan from oven and cool on baking rack. Lift out of pan by aluminum foil handles. Set on a smooth surface and cut into bars. If using a disposable aluminum pan, cut into squares right in the pan. Sprinkle with confectioner’s sugar and cut into bars.

**TIP For chocolate chips without gluten, dairy and soy, visit www.EnjoyLifeFoods.com.

Read More on These Topics

• Celiac/Gluten Free
• Casein-Free/Dairy Free
• Nut Allergies
• Snacks
• Dessert