Apricot Nut Bread

3/4 cup boiling water
1 cup dried apricots, chopped
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup butter or margarine, room temperature
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
1/2 cup light corn syrup
1 cup chopped walnuts or pecans

Grease and lightly flour 9x5x3-inch loaf pan. Pour boiling water over apricots; let stand 15 minutes.

Mix together flour, baking powder and salt. In a mixing bowl, blend butter, sugar, eggs and corn syrup; mix until smooth and well blended.

Stir in chopped apricots with water in which they were soaked and stir in nuts. Stir in dry ingredients gradually. Spoon batter into prepared pan.

Bake at 350F about 1 1/4 hours or until wooden pick inserted in center of loaf comes out clean. Cool in pan 10 minutes. Remove from pan; cool on rack. Serve with fruit butter spread, jam or jelly if desired.