Apricot Bars

This is a three layer dessert that it is amazingly simple to make. Serve it hot or cold with coffee and/or ice cream. To use fresh apricots, dunk them in a boiling water bath. Leave for approximately 1 minute. Remove them, and when they are cool enough to touch, slip the skins.

2 cups apricot puree
(Use fresh apricots with skins and pits removed, canned apricots – drained, or frozen apricots – thawed and drained)

2 cups oatmeal
1 cup flour - You could use a commercial gluten free flour as a replacement.
vanilla
salt
¾ cup butter
1 cup almond meal (or finely ground walnuts or pecans)
1 egg
2 cups brown sugar
1 cup chopped walnuts

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Puree apricots; add ½ teaspoon salt and ½ teaspoon vanilla, ½ cup brown sugar, and 1 cup almond meal. Set aside.

Bottom crust: Melt ½ cup butter. Mix in 1 cup flour, 1 cup brown sugar, 1 slightly beaten egg, ½ teaspoon salt, ½ teaspoon vanilla, and 1 cup oatmeal. Press this mixture into the bottom of a 9 x 13 glass baking dish and put into preheated oven for 15 minutes.

Topping: While crust is baking, mix topping: ¼ cup melted butter,1 cup oatmeal, ½ teaspoon vanilla, ½ teaspoon salt, ½ cup brown sugar, and 1 cup chopped walnuts or pecans.

When crust has baked for 15 minutes, remove it from the oven and turn the heat down to 325. Spread the apricot puree mixture over the hot crust. Then sprinkle the topping over the apricot mixture. Bake for an additional 25 minutes at the reduced temperature.

Cool, cut into squares.

Life is what happens while you're making other plans. John Lennon