Thursday, October 31, 2013

spooky cinnamon apple chips

Okay, there's nothing really spooky about these.
Except that I'm posting them on Halloween, so I'm calling them spooky.
They're actually not scary in the least and super delicious!

On Friday, I got a text from Joe.
"I got you a present."

Is that, or is that not, one of the most exciting texts you can receive?
Who doesn't like surprise presents?
And my boy knows me well, because the present just happened to be a mandolin!

No, not the instrument.
The slicer.
{I can't tell you how many people have asked me about the instrument, ha.}

So, it was only natural that I spent the weekend slicing as many things as possible to see what this baby could do.
Oranges?  Check.
Potatoes {of the french fry and hashbrown variety}?  Check.
Apples on apples on apples?  Check, check, check.

When I wasn't slicing things in my spare time, Joe and I were making the trek to Scottsdale Farms to have breakfast at Bella Luna Cafe and pick out the biggest pumpkins we could possibly find.
True story.



The sun was bright that morning, but we did it!

This year I ended up drawing my own stencil {terrifying, btw!} and this is what I came out with.


Broken in a few spots, but not too shabby for a homemade owl I suppose.
Next year I'll be returning to pre-made stencils, thankyouverymuch.

So, the apple chips.
Preface to these real quick: a reader reached out to me about the type of cinnamon I've been using {cassius cinnamon, what they have in the grocery store} and offered to send me a sample of some ceylon cinnamon.
It's supposed to be a lot better for you and also has a milder taste than the store-bought stuff.
There will be a post on this coming soon for anyone that's interested!

recipe adapted via Sally's Baking Addiction
Things you'll need:

2-3 apples {I used red delicious, but any kind will do!}
2 tsp granulated sugar
2 tsp cinnamon

*Note: This did not photograph well...my apologies in advance! Feel free to pop by Sally's blog for better photos! :)

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or aluminum foil.
{If using foil, lightly spray with cooking spray.}
Slice apples with a mandolin as thinly as possible.
If you don't have a mandolin, this can absolutely be done by hand.
It will just a take a bit longer!
Lay slices out in a single layer on your baking sheet.

Mix together cinnamon and sugar in a small bowl.
Lightly sprinkle over apples.
I only sprinkled one side, but you could definitely flip them over and do both if it strikes your fancy!

The hardest part of these apples?
The waiting.
Bake at 200 degrees for one hour.
Flip slices and bake for another hour.
Turn off the oven, and let the apple chips cool in the oven for another hour.
This last hour is crucial, as that's when they will crisp up and become actual chips!

Store in an airtight container at room temperature.
I took mine to work as a mid-morning snack, and it took everything in me not to eat them all in one sitting.
So addicting!

Now that I've made these, I have the "fruit chip" bug.
I want to make everything into a baked chip these days.
Banana chips are definitely next on my list!

Do you have any fun plans for Halloween?

Tonight we are heading over to a friend's house for a little get together to have drinks, give out candy to the adorable neighborhood kids, and eat one {or three} Reese's-filled cupcakes.
Don't worry, they will be adorned with Halloween goodies.


We'll also be giving our pup lots of hugs and kisses, because on this day two years ago we adopted him from the Atlanta Humane Society!
I cannot believe it's been two whole years.
What did we do before we had a pup to greet us at the door when we get home, to eat all the food dropped on the floor, and to hog the entire bed at night?!

Happy Halloween!

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