I had my first apricot in Germany.

No, not my first sausage, bratwurst, or even spatzle. In fact, I didn’t even try any of these foods while in Germany! How is this possible, you may be asking? Well… I had my first apricot in the Frankfurt Airport in Germany. And at the time, I had just experienced my first red-eye flight (aka. five sleepless, freezing hours and two full meals within three hours of each other), meaning I wasn’t really in the mood for a greasy sausage.

So I tried my first apricot!

I actually quite enjoyed this fruit. While I had never been a huge fan of dried apricots, I found the taste of fresh apricots was much milder (and less sickly sweet!!).

This summer, I actually had my second apricot. Fresh, ripe, and juicy; this apricot most certainly did not disappoint! After doing a bit of research, I decided almonds and apricots was definitely a combination I needed to try. So off I went, in full recipe-making cyclone mode, tearing around my kitchen leaving dirty dishes and healthy apricot-almond pastries in my wake.

These tarts are made with a sweet almond-date crust, with a spicy clove twist, and a thick cashew-apricot filling that will knock your socks off. In addition to the wonderful texture combination, the apricot filling is so incredibly rich and decadent that you won’t believe just how healthy this recipe is.

Because, it is healthy! There isn’t any added sugar, butter, or even flour in this recipe. In fact, the only ingredients are dates, nuts, apricots, and a spice or two. Combined into one decadent bite that will leave you content but blown away.

After creating this recipe, I can assure you the next time I enjoy an apricot will be quite a bit less than a year from now! 😉

Sweet Almond Apricot Tarts

• 1/2 c almonds
• 1/2 c dates (10 pitted dates)
• 1/8 tsp cloves
• 1/2 tsp vanilla
• 1/4 tsp almond extract
• 2 medium apricots
• 1/4 c cashews
• 3 tbs water
• additional 1/4 c dates
• additional 1 tbs almonds, sliced

Preheat oven to 350°F. Add walnuts and dates to food processor and pulse for 30 seconds. Add cloves and vanilla and process until chopped up (should resemble bread crumbs). Spray a mini muffin pan with cooking spray. Drop tablespoons of the mixture into each cavity, then press down crumbs on the bottom and around the sides. Slice 1 tbs additional almonds and spread on a small baking pan. Bake both the almonds and the mini tart crusts for 5 minutes, or until golden brown.

Meanwhile, add cashews and additional 1/4 c dates to the food processor (after cleaning the food processor) and pulse until roughly chopped. Slice one of the apricots in half and remove the pit. Add to food processor and process until mixture is combined, scraping down the sides every once in a while. Add water, a tablespoon at a time, to the mixture, until smooth. Pour in almond extract and process an additional 15 seconds to combine.

Allow crusts to cool for about 5 minutes once removed from the oven. Fill with apricot mixture (about 1- 1 1/2 tsp per crust). Slice remaining apricot and press slices into apricot filling. Top with toasted almonds. Use a knife to trace around the edges of the tarts in order to remove from the pan. Store in a Tupperware in the refrigerator for up to 3 days, or enjoy immediately!

Nutrition Information (from caloriecount.com)

Calories: 57

Fat: 3g

Carbs: 8g

Protein: 1g

(Yields 16 tarts)