Apricot Orange Oatmeal Bars

These are a pretty addition to a cookie tray - a variation on fruit-filled oatmeal bars like date-filled or jam-filled.
Be sure you chop the apricots fairly fine so they cook into a thick, jam-like filling.
Apricot Orange Oatmeal Bars

1/4 cup Butter -- softened
2 tablespoons Shortening
1/2 cup Brown Sugar -- packed
3/4 cup Flour, All-purpose
1/2 teaspoon Salt
1/4 teaspoon Baking Soda
1/2 cup Oatmeal -- quick cooking
Filling
1 1/4 Cups Dried Apricots -- cut fine
2 tablespoons Sugar
2/3 Cup Orange Juice or water
1/4 cup Pecans or Walnuts -- chopped
Heat oven to 400°. Grease 8” square baking pan.
Cook apricots, sugar and orange juice together, about 5-10 minutes, until thick. Add nuts. Set aside.
Mix butter, shortening and brown sugar. Stir in flour, salt, baking soda and oats. Press half of the crumbly mixture in pan. Mix cooked apricots and nuts and spread over top. Sprinkle with remaining crumbly mixture, pressing lightly. Bake until light brown, 20 to 25 minutes.
While warm cut in squares. About 16 cookies.
Cost 2010: $2.36 or 15¢ each.
Per Serving (excluding unknown items): 134 Calories; 6g Fat (38.3% calories from fat); 2g Protein; 20g Carbohydrate; 1g Dietary Fiber; 8mg Cholesterol; 119mg Sodium. Exchanges: 1/2 Grain(Starch); 0 Lean Meat; 1/2 Fruit; 1 Fat; 1/2 Other Carbohydrates.