Apricot Chocolate Chunk Cookies: National Apricot Day

Today is National Apricot Day! I love Apricots, but this isn't the season for fresh ones. No problem, dried apricots are wonderful and  can be used in lots of way. You can just dip them in dark chocolate or you can dip them in dark chocolate and roll them in pistachios. You can chop them up and add them to a nice chocolate nut loaf. So many choices.

Here's an easy recipe for Apricot Chocolate Chunk Cookies. I use dark chocolate with a 65-72% cacao, but use what you have available or what you like. Milk chocolate? White chocolate? You can always add some dried cherries, too! This is a very versatile recipe.

APRICOT CHOCOLATE CHUNK COOKIES

Ingredients
1/2 cup sweet butter, at room temperature (refer to cookie tips)
1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
1 large egg
1/2 teaspoon Madagascar vanilla extract
1 cup all purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup dried apricots, chopped into quarters or 1/2" pieces
1/2 cup pecans or walnuts, chopped
4 ounces dark chocolate, chopped into biggish chunks (1/2")

Directions
Preheat oven to 350°.
Cream butter & brown sugar in medium-size mixing bowl until blended.
Beat in egg and vanilla.
Add flour, baking soda, and salt, stirring mixture into smooth dough.
Fold in apricots, nuts and chopped dark chocolate, making sure to distribute evenly.
Drop batter by tablespoonfuls onto ungreased cookie sheets, spacing about 2 inches apart.
Bake for 10 minutes, until edges are lightly browned.
Cool cookies on sheet for 2 minutes before transferring with spatula to wire racks to cool.