Apricot & Oat Slices
*****************
Makes 12 HUGE squares.seriously consider doing half recipe. From the
Glenorchy Café, 27 miles south of Queenstown, New Zealand.
2 cups dried apricots, coarsely chopped
1 LB unsalted butter, softened
4 cups flour
3 cups rolled oats (or old fashioned or other oats)
2 cups light brown sugar
4 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. salt
Preheat oven to 350. Put chopped apricots in heavy sauce pan, cover with
water, bring to a boil, remove from heat and let sit until soft and swollen
(about 5 minutes), then drain. Grease a 12' x 9" pan with one tsp. of the
butter. (7.5 x 7.5 pan is almost exactly half size) When in doubt, go up in
pan size as these come out fairly thick.
In a large mixing bowl, mix all dry ingredients then cut in remaining butter
with pastry cutter or two table knives until mixture resembles coarse meal.
Using your hands, press half the mixture into pan in an even layer. Scatter
all the apricots evenly on top. Then scatter remaining mixture evenly on top
of that.
Bake until golden brown.about 50 minutes. Cool pan on rack and then cut into
squares.
