Chocolate chip apricot bars

Ingredients

Vegetable cooking spray
½ cup unsalted butter, softened
1 ½ cups light brown sugar
2 eggs
2 tsp. vanilla
1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
½ tsp. baking powder
½ tsp. baking soda
½ tsp. salt
½ tsp. ground cinnamon
3 cups rolled oats
¾ cup chocolate chips
¾ cup chopped dried apricots

Directions

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly coat a 9-inch square baking pan with cooking spray.

Using an electric mixer, beat butter and brown sugar together until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs and vanilla. Add flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and cinnamon and blend until smooth. With a spoon, stir in oats, chocolate chips and apricots.

Press batter into the pan and bake for 25 to 30 minutes or until the top is golden and the pastry begins to pull away from the sides of the pan. The center should be slightly soft.

Cool on a wire rack for 15 minutes. Cut into bars when still warm and let cool completely before removing from the pan.

Serves 18