Devil's Brownies

Ingredients

1/3 cup apricots, dried, chopped
1/4 cup rum
1 stick butter, unsalted
4 ounces semisweet chocolate
1 cup brown sugar, packed
1 teaspoon coffee powder, instant
1 teaspoon water, heated
3 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
3/4 cup flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup chocolate chips

Instructions

Put the dried fruit and liquor in a bowl and set aside to let fruit absorb the liquid. Heat oven to 350 degrees. Line 8 1/2 x 11 inch pan with overlapping sheets of foil and butter foil lightly. Melt butter and semisweet chocolate in saucepan big enough to double as mixing bowl over simmering water. Stir chocolate until smooth, set aside to cool slightly. Beat sugar and coffee into melted chocolate. Add eggs one by one, beating well after each one. Add vanilla and fruit. Combine flour and salt and stir into chocolate mixture until just blended. Stir in chocolate chips (and nuts, if desired). Scrape batter into pan and smooth top. Bake until center is set but moist, about 25 minutes. Cool at least 30 minutes before cutting. NOTES : The apricots can be replaced with dried currants; the rum, with scotch. A cup of walnuts, pistachios, or pecans can also be added, if desired.