Baked Apple Chips

OK, I realize it’s still August and maybe I’m jumping the gun a bit with an apple chips post. But let’s face it, autumn is approaching, the apple orchards will be packed in no time, and my obsession for Seneca Apple Chips is here to stay. For like the past, oh I don’t know, eight months, I’ve averaged 2-3 bags per week. Believe me, I’m not proud of this accomplishment or the fact that I’ve most likely spent $100+ on damn apple chips. I haven’t gotten my fix for about a month now. I wish I could say I kicked the habit, but that’d be a fabrication. In truth, I moved at the beginning of August, and the distance between my apartment and the market has placed a strain on our relationship. I no longer live 3 blocks from the market, and apparently I am too lazy have enough self-control to refrain from walking a couple miles to spend $2 on a measly bag of apple chips. So, I guess desperate times call for desperate measures! Last week I took matters into my own hands; I bought a few apples and scoured the Internet for apple chip recipes. Every method I stumbled upon was ridiculously involved, however, and required a lot of patience–a quality with which I was not so blessed. Like hell I’m soaking my apple slices in a simple syrup overnight only to allow them a few hours to dry the next day. Please. Can an apple chip not be achieved by simply taking a thin slice of apple and, uh, baking it in the oven? Yes, it can. So that’s just what I did, and they turned out great! Of course, I added a bit of raw sugar to my apple chips, but that’s far better than the corn syrup present in Seneca’s product. I was fairly off base when I assumed my version would be a clone of theirs. Mine lacked the powdery sugar glory that somehow sticks to every chip in the bag (I’m workin’ on it). I actually decided in the end, though, that I prefer my apple chips to the manufactured. They’re fresh and healthy, and everything tastes better homemade, right? So, as we enter the autumn months, keep this recipe in mind when scrambling to use up that bushel of apples from the orchard. Maybe give the apple crisp/pie a break, and opt for a healthier alternative such as apple chips!

Ingredients:

• Large apples (I used Red Delicious)
• turbinado sugar, optional

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 225°.

Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil, and prepare it with a non-stick cooking spray.

Using a sharp knife or a mandolin, slice the apples into thin rounds, about 1/8” thick. Carefully remove the few seeds you cut the slices (if you’re not a fan of the core, carefully cut a square shape around the core in the center of the slice and discard).

Arrange apple slices in a single layer on the prepared baking sheet. Sprinkle sugar evenly over the apple slices.

Bake in the oven for approximately 2 hours, flipping every 30 minutes. Store in an airtight container.*

*NOTE: The cooking time depends on how thin the apples are sliced and how crispy or chewy you’d like your apple chips. I like mine a little chewier, so at 2 hours they were perfect. The first batch I made a bit crispier, allowing them to bake for about 2.5 hours.