The Apple (chip) of My Eye – Apple Chips Three Ways

I grew up in California and am the product of a couple whose culinary upbringings couldn’t be more different. My dad was born and bred in New York, but you would never know it nowadays. He moved to our sleepy little beach town and became a vegan, taught yoga and made his own yogurt (I can, with authority say we will NOT be doing a post on vegan yogurt. Ever. Sorry.) My mom was a meat and potatoes Minnesotan gal, whose family always had a dessert after every single meal (my ideal world but would certainly not create my ideal thighs). My dad would take me to the health food store (long before the days of Whole Foods) and we would get carob chips (oh yeah, yum) wheat germ for our non-fat vanilla ice cream and kieffer (ha! Look it up). And I thought this was totally normal. My mom’s idea of a snack on the other hand was anything that was sugary and sweet. Trips to French bakeries, doughnut shops, See’s Candies (Bordeauxs: Be still my heart). And I thought this was totally normal as well. So my tastes for food in general varied from ridiculously healthy to sinfully decadent for the majority of my life.

Nowadays, I realize that something right in between is what works best for me. Something that can satisfy my sweet tooth, while still not making me feel TOO guilty . So in honor of my parents, we made baked apple chips three ways. They range from guilt free (Spiced), to right in the middle (Cinnamon and Sugar) to really, really, ridiculously good looking (just kidding—name that movie!) really delicious and not so healthy (Oatmeal and Brown Sugar).

Baked Apple Chips Three Ways (Oatmeal and Brown Sugar/Spiced/Cinnamon and Sugar)
(Makes 3 apples/ 1 apple per topping)

Oatmeal and Brown Sugar Baked Apple Chips

1 Apple (we used Pink Ladies)
¼ cup rolled oats
3 Tablespoons brown sugar
1 teaspoon flour
1 teaspoon butter, chilled

Preheat oven to 200 degrees
Use a mandolin on the 1/8 inch setting to slice the entire apple, poke out any seeds in the slices
Place rolled oats, brown sugar, flour andbButter in a food processor; pulse until a fine blend; pour into a medium bowl
Dip both sides of apple slices in mixture; lay on a parchment/foil/silpat-lined cookie sheet
Cook for 2 hours; flipping slices over after first hour
Transfer to a cooling rack and allow to cool until crisp

Spiced Baked Apple Chips

1 Apple (we used Pink Ladies)
1 teaspoon cinnamon
½ teaspoon brown sugar
1/8 teaspoon all spice
1/8 teaspoon ground ginger
1/8 teaspoon nutmeg
Small pinch of cayenne

Preheat oven to 200 degrees
Use a mandolin on the 1/8 inch setting to slice the entire apple, poke out any seeds in the slices
Place all ingredients in a small bowl and mix together with a fork
Lay apple slices on a parchment/foil/silpat-lined cookie sheet and sprinkle the mixture over one side of the apple only (roll the mixture inbetween your fingers while sprinkling to break up the spices)
Cook for 2 hours; flipping slices over after first hour
Transfer to a cooling rack and allow to cool until crisp

Cinnamon and Sugar Baked Apple Chips

1 Apple (w used Pink Ladies)
¼ cup sugar
½ teaspoon cinnamon

Use a mandolin on the 1/8 inch setting to slice the entire apple, poke out any seeds in the slices
Place all ingredients in a small bowl and mix together with a fork
Dip both sides of apple slices in mixture; lay on a parchment/foil/silpat-lined cookie sheet
Cook for 2 hours; flipping slices over after first hour
Transfer to a cooling rack and allow to cool until crisp