Apricot Bites (recipe is still in the editing stage but way easy to make)

Take dried apricots, stuff them with some almond paste, then dip them in chocolate. Let cool. You can also sprinkle on some ground almonds, but in testing that, it is a bit messier on the trail. Store in a cool place.

Almond paste has 170 calories per 2 tablespoons.

Yowsers! I am heading out the door to buy almond paste. While I'm gone, I hope you can tell us how to stuff an apricot. The dried ones I have aren't stuffable. Do you slit them open? Staple 2 together with the paste in the middle? I will take these on our 3-day trip this week, if they last that long.

You can slit them open, but if you look closely, there is a seam. Shove about 1/4 teaspoon of almond paste in there, then pinch them closed. It doesn't matter if the almond paste is peeking through b/c you are going to dip them in chocolate.

Trader Joes has excellent apricots, btw.

ETA: I had to hide them from myself last week so that I would have enough to take to Colorado this past weekend. Consider yourself warned. :)

Also... Make sure you get almond paste and not marzipan (blech!)

Edited by dicentra on 09/21/2010 16:13:55 MDT.

OK, I'm back. I had 2 choices of almond paste, one was "pure" and the other was much cheaper but had a bunch of syrups and coconut somethings in it. So I splurged and bought the pure one, which may, in fact, be marzipan, but since I like marzipan, it will be fine.

And my Trader Joe apricots do indeed have little slits that pry open to look like apricot oysters. Very sweet! Now I know what's for dinner. I will try melting chocolate chips for a semi-sweet version of chocolate dip. Thanks for this!

Dicentra, I just gained 5 lbs. reading your recipe, lol!!! I'm also threatening to short circuit my keyboard with excess drooling!

Using dark chocolate (Green & Black's?) and rolling in finely chopped almonds after dipping would be a bonus!

The organic Turkish apricots sold in bulk by Fred Meyer (my favorite dried fruit) also have the "seam" from which the pit was removed, although you have to pry around to find it.

Edited by hikinggranny on 09/21/2010 16:53:34 MDT.

But I promise, it is worth it! :)

Hehheh! Same here Granny - I love both Marzipan and almond paste. both are sooo indulgent!

These are brilliant! Be sure to do all your prying of apricots and stuffing of paste before you start rolling them in the chocolate. It's a mess - like fingerpainting - and lots of fun. And they taste wonderful! So did licking my fingers. I may have a salad for dessert to justify this so-called dinner.

Stuff all the apricots first, THEN start the dipping.

And feel free to lick your fingers. :)

I very much doubt if any of these will survive to go on a backpacking trip!