2/3 cup California dried apricots
1 stick (1/2 cup) unsalted butter, softened
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 1/3 cups all purpose flour
1 cup packed light brown sugar
2 large eggs
1/2 cup chopped walnuts (2 1/4 ounces)
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1/4 teaspoon salt
confectioners' sugar for dusting

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350°F.

Simmer apricots in water to cover in a small saucepan, covered, 15 minutes. Drain, then cool to room temperature and finely chop.

Beat together butter, granulated sugar, and 1 cup flour with an electric mixer on medium speed until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Press evenly over bottom of a greased 8 inch square metal baking pan (do NOT use nonstick) and bake in middle of oven until golden, about 25 minutes.

Beat together, in same bowl, chopped apricots, brown sugar, eggs, walnuts, baking powder, vanilla, salt, and remaining 1/3 cup four on medium speed until combined well.

Pour topping over crust and bake in middle of oven until topping is set and golden, 25 to 30 minutes more. Cool in pan on a rack and cut into 12 bars, then dust with confectioners' sugar.

NOTE: Don't use a nonstick pan for this recipe. The bottom of a crust can easily overbrown in one. Also, when cutting the bars in the pan, there's a good change you'd scratch the nonstick surface.

Makes 12 bars.

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