Anyone who knows me knows that I'm not a great lover of chocolate. Honestly, truly. I can take it or leave it, and more often than not I will happily leave it. But sometimes I know that a hint of chocolate is what a recipe needs to set it off and elevate it from 'good' to 'tasty!' This is one such recipe: dried fruit and oaty goodness, with a smidge of white chocolate. (Not that white chocolate is even real chocolate.)
Method
Beat together the fat and sugar until it's creamy. When it comes to elbow grease or the KitchenAid, I favour the KitchenAid.
Next add the egg and vanilla and combine.
Fold in the flour, baking powder, salt, and oats. It'll feel a bit like hard work by now, but persevere.
Next add the dried apricots and chocolate.
Cover the bowl with clingfilm and refrigerate for at least 15 minutes. Meanwhile, preheat your oven to 180° Celsius (360° Fahrenheit) or gas mark 4.
When the dough has chilled sufficiently, roll it into balls the size of small walnuts, place them in a lined baking sheet, at least 4cm (2 inches) apart, and squash them slightly with a fork.
Bake for 15 minutes, or until they are golden brown. You'll need to leave them to set for a few minutes before you can lift them off of the sheet and wolf them down with a cup of tea.