I had some finely sliced apple left over from my pancakes this morning, so decided to make some apple crisps for Small Boy to have later in the day as a snack. I only have a mini fridge at the moment, so fridge space is at a premium – thought these were something I could pop in a bag and cart about to our toddler group! Also good for lunch boxes too. I have a ‘crisper tray’ that I have accumulated on my travels, but an ordinary baking sheet would be fine.
Ingredients:
1 apple, finely sliced up with a vegetable peeler
Place the apple pieces on your crisper tray or baking sheet – if using a baking sheet, very very lightly grease it with a bit of butter or a scant teaspoon of oil to stop the apple from sticking.
Pop into the oven at 180C for 20 minutes to bake and dry out the apple pieces, turning them over halfway through. You’ll know they’re done when the edges start to curl up – thicker pieces will take longer to dry out.
When you’ve turned the oven off, turn them over again and leave them in for another 20 minutes to make the most of the heat still kicking about in the oven! Remove, allow to cool, and pop into an airtight container or a sandwich bag for a portable snack.
These are easy to make when you’re using the oven for something else – just put the tray on an empty shelf or at the bottom of the oven. They will keep in an airtight container for up to three days, and make a handy portable snack.
Apple slices can also be dried by soaking in a little lemon juice, and hanging up to dry. I’ve seen tutorials on the Internet where people suspend them from cotton sewn through with a needle to dry naturally in the air, but I haven’t tried it myself.
You can also dry them in a non stick frying pan on a low to medium heat – but they will need to be turned over regularly and will take on a caramelly taste – I only thought of it afterwards!
Jack Monroe. Follow me on Twitter @MsJackMonroe. Find me on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/agirlcalledjack
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