Afew years ago our son married and started spending the holidays with his wife's family (we get them for Thanksgiving), so my husband and I have found ourselves facing Dec. 25 as a twosome. However, our friends have learned that we have been orphaned and insist that we share Christmas dinner with them.

This year, an invitation arrived, but with a new twist. We were asked to come help prepare the holiday meal with longtime friends. Nothing could have pleased me more for, though I enjoy being a guest on this day, I like cooking Christmas dinner even better.

This holiday pork dish works well with all manner of side dishes, but I'll leave those choices to my cooking partners.

Distributed by Tribune Media Services International.

Holiday Pork Tenderloins

Makes 6 servings

2 / 3 cup pitted prunes, cut into 1/4 -inch pieces

2 / 3 cup dried apricots, cut into 1/4 -inch pieces

2 / 3 cup bourbon

5 thick bacon slices (5 to 6 ounces), cut into 1/2 -inch pieces

3/4 cup fresh bread crumbs

3 tablespoons chopped flat-leaf parsley

2 teaspoons chopped fresh rosemary

two 14- to 16-ounce pork tenderloins, trimmed of excess fat

salt, freshly ground black pepper

oil

3 tablespoons Dijon mustard

1/2 cup packed light brown sugar

1 2 / 3 cups reduced-sodium chicken stock

2 tablespoons apricot preserves, plus more if needed

Place prunes and apricots in mixing bowl. Heat bourbon in small saucepan over medium heat just until warm, then pour over the fruit. Marinate 20 minutes. Drain, reserving all the liquid. Return fruit to mixing bowl.

Fry bacon in medium skillet over medium heat until crisp and brown, 3 to 4 minutes. Drain on paper towels. Add bacon, bread crumbs, 2 1/2 tablespoons of the parsley and rosemary to mixing bowl with the fruits, and stir well to combine. Set aside.

Place tenderloins on work surface. Using sharp knife, make lengthwise cut about two-thirds deep down center of each. Open the meat and, using meat pounder, flatten each tenderloin to an even thickness between 1/4 and 1/2 inch. Salt and pepper the pork. Spread half the fruit stuffing over each tenderloin. Bring long sides of each tenderloin together to cover stuffing and then overlap the narrow ends. With kitchen twine, tie each tenderloin at 1-inch intervals into neat logs. (Roasts can be prepared 4 hours ahead. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate. Bring to room temperature 30 minutes before roasting.)

When ready to roast pork, arrange oven rack at center position and preheat oven to 375 degrees. Pat roasts dry with paper towels. Place medium, flame-proof roasting pan over medium-high heat and coat bottom with oil. When hot, add roasts and brown on all sides, about 7 minutes. Remove from heat. Salt and pepper meat.

In small bowl, whisk together mustard and brown sugar until sugar has dissolved. Reserve 3 tablespoons of this mixture for the sauce, and spread remainder on top and sides of meat. Roast tenderloins until thermometer registers 155 degrees, 30 to 35 minutes, drizzling meat with 1/3 cup of the stock after 15 minutes.

When done, transfer pork to platter and tent with aluminum foil to keep warm. Place roasting pan with juices over high heat. Add remaining stock and cook, scraping up brown bits on bottom of pan, 2 to 3 minutes. Whisk in reserved mustard mixture, reserved bourbon (from strained fruits) and apricot preserves and cook another 2 to 3 minutes. Sauce will be on the thin side with just a little body. Taste and season with salt.

If sauce seems too tart, stir in 2 to 3 teaspoons additional apricot preserves. Strain sauce into medium saucepan and cook over medium-high heat 1 minute more. Remove twine, cut pork into 1/2 -inch-thick slices and overlap on serving plate. Drizzle with some sauce and sprinkle with remaining parsley. Serve extra sauce separately.

Note: For thicker sauce, stir together 2 teaspoons cornstarch with 2 teaspoons cold water. Whisk into strained sauce and cook, whisking constantly, 1 to 2 minutes until sauce thickens slightly.