Apricot Bars

Apricot Filling Ingredients:

• 1 cup dried apricots, chopped
• Grated rind of one orange**
• 1-1/2 cups pasteurized apple juice
• 1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1/3 cup raisins
• Nonfat cooking spray

*You can grind nuts in a cleaned out coffee grinder or food processor.

**Before grating the orange rind, wash the outside of the orange throughly with warm water and soap then dry. This ensures that you wash off any germs that may be on the surface from the store.

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400ºF.
2. Make the pastry:
   First, wash your hands with soap and warm water then dry. In a large bowl, add flour, nuts and butter then mix throughly with your fingers until mixture becomes crumbly. Add the water and combine thoroughly until it becomes a dough. Roll into a slightly flattened ball, wrap in plastic wrap and then refrigerate for 30 minutes.
3. Make the filling:
   In a small saucepan, add the apricots, orange rind, and apple juice. Bring to a boil then lower heat to medium low and simmer, stirring occassionally until apricots are softened and incorporated into mixture. Remove from heat and allow to cool slightly. Place apricot mixture in a food processor and blend until smooth. Pour into a small bowl then stir in nutmeg and raisins and mix thoroughly.
4. Spray a 9-inch cake pan on bottom and sides with nonfat cooking spray.
5. Divide the dough in half. On a floured surface, roll out a half of the dough then place it at the bottom of the pan.
6. Using a spatula, spread the apricot filling on top of the pastry in the pan, leaving 1/4 - inch of space of the dough exposed on the edges. Brush the exposed dough with water. Roll out the other half of the dough and place on top of the filling and press down along the edges.
7. Use a pastry brush and brush top of pastry with the milk. Prick surface with a fork then bake for 25 minutes or until pastry is golden.
8. Cool on a rack then cut into 10-12 bars.