Candied Apricots

Photo: flickr user _e.t

Ingredients

6 ounces dried apricots

cup water

cup sugar

cup brandy

granulated sugar for coating apricots

Preparation

Combine apricots and water. Heat to boiling and simmer 5 minutes. Cool.

Drain and measure 1 cup liquid from apricots (add water, if necessary, to make this amount).

Turn 1 cup liquid into a 9" skillet.

Add 1-cup sugar and brandy, and heat to boiling, stirring until sugar dissolves. Add drained apricots, and simmer 10 minutes. Remove from heat, cover and allow to stand several hours or overnight.

Add remaining 1/2-cup sugar, and boil slowly 5 minutes. Let stand as before.

Cook twice more for 5 minutes each time, allowing apricots to stand in the syrup for several hours or overnight between each cooking. Cool in syrup, then drain well.

Arrange apricots on a wire cake rack and set over a shallow pan, to drain and dry.

To make fruit less sticky, place in an oven with a pilot light for 24 hours, or heat oven and then place in oven to dry.

Coat with sugar.