Apricot, Pecan & Cinnamon Chewies

Apricot, Pecan & Cinnamon Chewies

Makes about 40 chews

Apricot, Pecan & Cinnamon Chewies 

Sanders & Rachel had a wonderful baby girl a whole month ago. They surely must be out of casseroles by now and need a tasty delight delivered – Larue to the rescue with apricot, pecan & cinnamon chewies. They are so darn good – much better than their name implies – and also a little bit chewy. But, not the chewiness that sucks the fillings out of your molars but the kind that gives crunch as well as slightly sticky ooze. Perfect! They can be made in literally 1 hour, including the 30 minutes of cooking.  Apologies once again for the ridiculous simplicity of this goodie.

The Fixins' for the Chewies

• 6 oz dried apricots, chopped
• 1 C orange juice
• ¼ C sugar
• 2½ C yellow cake mix (not with pudding)
• ½ C (1 stick) butter
• 5 Tb of mix of cinnamon/sugar  (ratio approximately 1:5)
• 14 oz sweetened condensed milk
• 1 C toasted chopped pecans
• Powdered sugar

In a saucepan, gently simmer together apricots, orange juice and sugar until the apricots are soft. Drain the apricots and set aside.  Reserve the orange juice for another use – perhaps a cocktail?

In a 9 x 13 inch glass pan, melt the butter and spread evenly. Sprinkle the cake mix evenly over the butter and pat down with a fork. Sprinkle the chopped apricots on top, and then the pecans and finally the cinnamon/sugar mix. Lastly drizzle the sweetened condensed milk over all.

 

Butter and cake mix

Adding the apricots and pecans

....and the condensed milk

Bake in a 350 degree F oven for 30 minutes or until top is lightly browned. Allow to cool and cut into squares. Sprinkle the top with a dusting of powdered sugar and enjoy. 

Cook until it is browned....then enjoy!

As an added advantage – this freezes beautifully. Try it next time you need a quick and simple scrumptious dessert. You will not be disappointed.

Larue