Here's a rich fruit and nut filled tart, the perfect finale for a holiday meal.

Did you know that walnuts are one of the healthiest foods you can eat?  Walnuts are the only nut that contain a significant amount of omega-3 fatty acids. No other nut even comes close.  Eating a handful of walnuts every day is one small step you can take to protect your heart.  The U.S. Food and Drug Administration even approved a qualified health claim for walnuts, the first ever for a whole food.

For the crust:
about 8 ounces soft coconut macaroon cookies
1 cup ground walnuts
3 tablespoons melted butter

For the filling:
1/3 cup golden or dark raisins
1/3 cup dried cherries
1/3 cup chopped dried apricots
1/2 cup brandy or water
2 eggs
1 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup flour
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
1/3 cup semisweet chocolate chips
powdered sugar for dusting top

Preheat the oven to 350ºF. Crumble the macaroons; you should have 2 cups.

To make the crust, stir the macaroons, ground walnuts and butter together in a large bowl. Press the mixture evenly over the bottom and sides of an 11-inch, removable-bottom tart pan. Bake for 15 minutes, or until lightly browned. Cool before filling.

To make the filling, put the raisins, cherries and apricots in a small bowl. In the microwave or in a small saucepan, bring the brandy or water just to a boil. Pour it over the fruit, and soak for 20 - 30 minutes. Drain off any remaining liquid. In a medium bowl beat eggs with a mixer on low speed for 3 - 4 minutes, until quite foamy. Add the brown sugar, flour and vanilla, and beat until smooth. Add Drained fruit, the walnuts and chocolate chips, and stir to combine. Pour the filling into the prepared crust, spreading it evenly. Bake 35 - 40 minutes, until the filling is lightly browned and set; a toothpick inserted in center should come out clean when the tart is done. If top gets too brown during baking, drape a sheet of foil loosely over the tart for the remainder of the baking time.

Place the tart on a rack to cool before removing the sides of the pan. Before serving, dust the top with powdered sugar sprinkled through a sieve or strainer.

One 11-inch tart, serving 10 Nutrition information per serving:
Calories: 410, Fat: 20 g, Saturated Fat: 9g, Protein: 5g, Carbohydrate: 55g, Cholesterol: 45mg, Sodium: 80 mg, Fiber: 3g.