Recipe: Bacon-wrapped apricot

Culinary wondercouple Dan and Steve (aka the Hearty Boys) have a delicious story: Despite the fact that neither is a trained chef, they've managed to run one of the city's most beloved catering businesses, open a restaurant (and they're about to open a second), and won much-coveted The Next Food Network Star honors. Their brunch is legendary--in fact, one Sunday a few years ago, their restaurant gave BDJ Labs staff their first taste of maple-glazed bacon.

Their love of bacon endures, apparently--witness the absolutely delectable recipe that landed in the BDJ Labs inbox today--we know what we're having for lunch now.

Bacon-wrapped apricots
24 Turkish dried apricots (brighter color and milder taste than plain ol regular ones)
1 cup white wine
2 fresh thyme sprigs
12 slices bacon, cut in half
Honey Balsamic Glaze, recipe follows

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Put the apricots into a medium-size saucepan, along with the wine and thyme. Add enough water to just cover and place over high heat. Bring to a boil, lower the heat, and let simmer for 10 minutes. Drain the apricots and let cool. Discard the sprigs of thyme.

Wrap each apricot in a piece of bacon, secure with a toothpick, and place on a baking sheet. Bake in the top half of the oven until the bacon is crisp, about 20 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool for 5 minutes. Drizzle with honey balsamic glaze before serving.

Yield: 24 pieces
Preparation time: 25 minutes
Cooking time: 30 minutes

Honey Balsamic Glaze

1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
1/2 cup honey
1/4 cup sugar
1 teaspoon salt
Combine all the ingredients, along with 1/4 cup water, in a saucepan and place over high heat. Bring to a boil, lower the heat, and let simmer until reduced by half. The glaze should have a honey-like consistency.

Yield: 3/4 cup
Preparation time: 5 minutes
Cooking time: 20 minutes