For some reason I had visions of re-hydrating apricots in barrel aged bourbon, then pairing those with bittersweet cocoa nibs set into a rich, dark chocolate cookie.  These would be my Midnight Marlos. A chocolatey night sky with fruity orbs of tartness cutting through the richness. 

Instead, my first stab at Midnight Marlos looked more like...well...Muddy Marlos. No rich chocolate color (not enough cocoa), not sweet enough (more sugar?) and a faint aroma of pineapple (?!) cutting through the discordant flavor profile. 

I also tested the 'topping': stick to a crunchy coating of pure, organic sugar or add some complexity to the mix and surprise the taste buds with some coarse salt?  

The addition of salt may have been with a heavy hand (this will not be a shocker to any of the ladies in my pastry school program) but it just didn't work. Instead of bringing out the sweetness in the Marlo, it just highlighted the saltiness. 

The Epic Fail (that I won't subject you, dear consumer, to tasting).

On to the next recipe test....