Dried apricots
Step by step recipe:
- 5 min.
Rinse and dry 500 g apricots. - 7 min.
Cut the apricots in half and remove the stones (but don't throw them away).
I advise you to cut out and discard the small hard part where the stalk was attached (shown by the red arrow). Trim this away (green arrow) to leave only the good flesh. - 3 min.
Prepare all the apricots like this, then arrange on a baking sheet. - 3 min.
You can put a few grains of vanilla in the centre of each half if you like, but this is not essential. 
Leave to dry in the oven at 194°F (90°C) for 6 hours.
This time is just for guidance, as it will depend on the ripeness of your apricots and could take longer (8 hours, for instance). Do check after this time to see how well they have dried.- 6 hours
Leave to cool on a wire rack, then keep in a sealed jar.
Remarks:
It is important to use very ripe apricots, or the drying will bring out any tartness.You can also sprinkle the apricots with caster sugar before they go in the oven, but they will no longer have that natural dried apricot flavour.
Those fortunate enough to have a proper bread oven can make use of the residual heat after baking bread. Put the apricots in at 194°F (90°C) and leave for 8 to 10 hours.