Apricot Oat Drops

I love to eat fruit. In fact, growing up I would choose a piece of fruit over ice-cream for dessert!  Even now I probably would too!  I enjoy every kind of fruit, and in various forms.  I like to dehydrate some fruits and eat them that way, or make it into fruit leather.  Of course, I enjoy fresh fruit as well.

A few weeks ago, I was contacted by Lancaster International Trading Company and  asked if I would be interested in sampling their Enduring Sun dried apricots.  I jumped on the opportunity to try something new.  I eagerly anticipated the day that my package would arrive, and I was not disappointed.  I received 4 types of dried apricots, along with a bag of sun-dried tomatoes (look for a recipe soon!).  Each of the apricot types has a slightly different flavor.  I sampled the Jelena (extra large sweet & tart with a hint of clementine), the Larissa (small & sweet with a hint of orange), the Natasha (unique flavor with a delightful lemony afterglow), and the Valentina (extra large sweet & slightly tart with a hint of clementine).  The apricots were delicious on their own, but I wanted to create a recipe to show off the flavors of the apricot.

I spent a few days thinking about what I could use the apricots for.  I actually came up with quite a few ideas, some of which may appear here pretty soon.  I was in the mood for a healthy cookie, and so I created these. I think they are delicious, and I have been enjoying them warmed up in the microwave.  The texture is similar to baked oatmeal, and I think the chocolate chips really complement the Jelena apricots.

Apricot Oat Drops

Makes 15 cookies

You will need:
1-1/2 cups old fashioned oats
1/2 cup coconut flakes
1/4 cup ground almonds
1/4 cup miniature semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 cup dried apricots, cut into 1/2" cubes
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
3/4 cup applesauce
1 banana, mashed
1 teaspoon vanilla

1.  Mix ingredients together in a large bowl until well combined.

2.  Drop cookies by the spoonful onto a greased cookie sheet.

3.  Bake at 350 for 10-12 minutes, until the cookie is set.

Disclosure: I received the apricots courtesy of Lancaster International Trading Company.  I was not compensated for this post.  Any thoughts and opinions in this post are my own.