Apple Cranberry Fruit Leather Food

APPLE-CRANBERRY FRUIT LEATHER

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 200 degrees. Generously coat two 13-by-9-inch rimmed baking sheets with cooking spray, and line with a Silpat baking mat if desired.
• Working in batches, puree apples, cranberries, apple juice or cider, lemon juice, honey, and sugar in a blender. Pour into a bowl to combine.
• Divide puree between prepared pans. Let stand 1 minute, then drain excess liquid. Smooth with an offset spatula. (The puree should be almost 1/4 inch thick.) Bake, with oven door open slightly, until dry to the touch (but not browned), about 6 hours. Close oven door, turn off oven, and let dry overnight in the oven. (Fruit leather should be stiff, but still pliable.)
• Remove fruit leather from pans. Trim uneven edges, cut into desired size, and roll up if desired.

APPLE-CRANBERRY FRUIT LEATHER

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 200°F Generously coat two 13x9 inch rimmed baking sheets with cooking spray, and line with a Silpat baking mat if desired.
• Working in batches, puree apples, cranberries, apple juice or cider, lemon juice, honeym and sugar in a blender. Pour into a bowl to combine.
• Divide puree between prepared pans. Let stand 1 minute, then drain excess liquid. Smooth with an offset spatula. The puree should be almost 1/4 inch thick. Bake, with oven door open slightly, until dry to the touch, (but not browned), about 6 hours. Close oven door, turn off oven. Fruit leather should be stiff, but still pliable.
• Remove fruit leather from pans. Trim uneven edges, cut into desired size, and roll up if desired. Fruit leather can be wrapped in plastic and refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 1 month.

FRUIT LEATHER

Steps:

• Tip the strawberries and apple into a saucepan. Put the pan over a low heat, you don't need to add any water. If you've used frozen fruit, juice will run out as they thaw. Heat gently, keeping an eye on the pan until the strawberries start to break down, you can put a lid on the pan if you like, this keeps the steam in and helps the fruit break down. Cook until the strawberries have softened and given up their juice and the apple is soft.
• Take the pan off the heat. Purée the contents with a stick blender or in a food processor. Squeeze the purée through a sieve into a clean pan, pushing as much pulp through as possible.
• Put the pan back on a low heat and cook, stirring occasionally, until the purée thickens enough to leave a clear patch on the base of the pan when you pull a spoon through it. The more moisture you drive off now, the shorter your drying time will be.
• Heat the oven to as low as it will go. Pour the purée onto a lined baking sheet (we use a reusable silicone tray liner) and spread it out to a thin layer, the purée should be thick enough to look opaque.
• Put the tray in the oven and dry until the surface is no longer tacky when you touch it, but the leather is still flexible - don't overcook it or it will turn brittle. This will take several hours depending on the oven temperature. If it is very hot and sunny you can air-dry the leather, or use a dehydrator.
• Leave the leather to cool to warm and then peel it carefully off the tray. Trim off the raggedy edges. Roll the leather up, then cut the roll into sections, using scissors is easiest. Each of these will unroll to make a strip. Keep the strips individually wrapped and airtight. The offcuts can be chopped up and used in baking, or snacked on.

FRUIT LEATHER (APPLE)

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 150 degrees.
• Mix the first 3 ingredients together.
• Spray cookie sheet.
• Spread a THIN layer of the mixture on the cookie sheet.
• Leave oven door open a bit and cook for 6-8 hours.