Dried apricots come in two types: the thin, very tart kind that are halves, and a thicker, plumper, sweeter type that are whole apricots with their pits removed, known as Turkish apricots. For this recipe, you want the Turkish type. Look for them at natural foods stores, good produce markets, and specialty grocery stores. The best setup for this is a rectangular rack (the kind you cool cookies on) set onto (or ideally into) a foil-lined baking tray with sides (often called a jelly roll pan). This will allow the bacon fat to drip down and away from the bites, keeping them crisp. If you don’t have these items, just bake the bites directly on a foil-lined baking tray, and then drain them on paper towels before serving.
INGREDIENTS
Vegetable oil spray
6 slices bacon, “regular” or turkey
12 Turkish-style dried apricots or pitted prunes, or a combination
PROCEDURE
1. Adjust the oven rack to the center position and preheat the oven to 400°F. Line a shallow-sided baking pan with foil, and set a cooling rack on top. Spray the rack with nonstick spray.
2. Cut each slice of bacon in half crosswise to make 12 pieces, each about 4 inches long.
3. Wrap each apricot or prune with a half-slice of bacon, covering as much of the fruit as you can. The bacon will overlap a bit, but it shouldn’t go around twice. Place each piece, seam side down, on the prepared rack. Bake for about 10 minutes, or until the bacon is crisp on the bottom.
4. Use tongs to carefully turn the bites over, and insert a toothpick into each one to secure the bacon ends. Bake for another 10 minutes, or until the bacon is evenly cooked and crisp all over.
5. Remove the baking tray from the oven, and leave the bites on the rack to cool for a few minutes before serving. (The sugar in the fruit will have become very hot.)
Makes 12 bacon bites; serves 4 to 6 as a party snack
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