A RECIPE FOR APPLE CHIPS

I wanted to share an awesome recipe that was a complete hit with Sylvie today.

Apple chips! Nana (my mum!) made these yesterday, and they have far outdone strawberries as Sylvia's favourite food (for today, anyway). I think they're delicious also and am having to stop myself from gobbling them all while she sleeps. I thought I might condense the recipe here, because it's pretty simple.

• Turn the oven on to about 95 degrees Celsius.
• In a jug or bowl, mix two cups of water with a quarter cup of lemon juice (about one not-very-juicy lemon's worth).
• Slice up a couple of apples as finely as possible (core and peel first if you wish). I'm thinking a mandolin might be handy for future batches.
• As you slice them, drop each piece into the lemon mixture. Leave the whole lot soaking in there for 30 minutes.
• Dry the slices thoroughly with paper towel, and lay them out on baking paper on trays in a single layer.
• Pop them into the oven for 60 minutes.
• Flip each slice over, then back in the oven for 60 minutes.
• If you want soft chips, that's it. Just turn off the oven, leave the trays in there with the oven door cracked while the oven cools down.
• For crispier chips, flip each slice again and bake for another 60 minutes. My mum and I actually found the chips were quite crispy already without this extra hour, so do keep an eye on them and don't overcook. Cooking time needed will depend on the fineness of your slices and individual oven variance.
• Will keep for a week in a seal container, or up to a month sealed inside the fridge.
• Try not to gobble them all yourself while your baby is sleeping.

Of course you can substitute just about any fruit for the apple. Experiment with your child and have fun!

- Kath