I can never think about Halloween without thinking about my dear friend Kelli. It’s not only because her birthday is just a day before the spooky holiday, but also because she always has the most creative costume. Last year, she was the Morton salt girl with the yellow dress and the umbrella. I can’t wait to see what she comes up with this year.

Kelli and I met in college and hit it off right away. She works in Chicago now, but we still keep in touch through emails, phone dates and occasional visits. It seems like no matter how long we haven’t seen each other, we are always able pick up right where we left off.

When I sent Kelli her birthday present a few days ago, I decided to send along some homemade treats. I wanted them to be sturdy enough to hold up in the package. I also wanted them to be fun enough for Halloween.

Well, what says Halloween better than the quintessential black and orange color combination? These chocolate-covered apricots are not only festive, they are also delicious and (considering what else people eat during Halloween) good for you.

These small treats pack in a variety of textures. The apricots are plump and chewy. The almonds are salty and crunchy. I used a mix of bittersweet and semisweet chocolate in the recipe because I find it not too sweet or too bitter. But you can use any kind of chocolate you like.

Although these morsels will sure put you in a festive mood, make these at home even if you are not the type to celebrate Halloween. They are equally good eaten alone at home with all the blinds shut and lights turned off.