Preparation:
Preheat oven to 200øF. and oil a 13 x 9-inch baking pan.
Pit apricots and coarsely chop. In a 3-quart heavy saucepan cook apricots and sugar over moderate heat, stirring, until sugar is dissolved, about 5 minutes. Cook mixture at a bare simmer, stirring frequently, until thickened, about 40 minutes more. In a blender pur‚e mixture until smooth (use caution when blending hot liquids). Transfer pur‚e to baking pan and spread evenly over bottom.
Dry pur‚e in middle of oven until it feels drier but slightly tacky, about 1 hour. Cool leather completely in pan on a rack.
Peel leather out of pan and roll up in wax paper. Leather keeps, wrapped in plastic wrap, at cool room temperature 1 month.
NOTE: This fruit leather makes a satisfying energy snack and is delicious in place of chutney on a sandwich (we loved it in a ham and cheese wrap). For an easy hors d'oeuvre, spread 4 tablespoons softened mild goat cheese onto an 8-inch square of leather. Sprinkle the cheese with 1 tablespoon chopped pistachios and tightly roll up leather into a log. Chill the log and slice it into 1/4-inch-thick round |
