I posted this on one of my other blogs but thought it was appropriate for this one as well! It was so easy my just-turned-4-year-old-daughter Jessalynne was able to help me make it. She added all the berries into the food processor, with my help "pulsed" the berries, then I poured it into the prepared pans, let her press the oven buttons and "bam!" then we just waited!
4 easy steps, Puree, Taste, Spead & Cook!
Puree: Puree all ingredients in a food processor. One amazing combination is raspberries with a touch of agave and almond extract. Holy heaven-in-a-food-processor. I froze all of our extra fruits from our garden (strawberries, blueberries and blackberries) so we pulled those out to make this delicious snack. We made two different kinds mixed berry (with blueberries, strawberries, blackberries and rasperries) and one with just strawberry & blackberry. I added about 1-2 tsp of organic agave as well for a little sweetness.
Taste the mixture after it’s smooth and add more sweetener if you need to. You need to be able to pour this mixture, so if you puree your fruit and it’s pretty thick, just add a little liquid. You can add water, or fruit juice. Both silicone and plastic wrap work the best other materials cause the fruit to stick.
Spread Puree: Use an offset spatula to gently spread the mixture in an even layer. The more evenly you spread, the more evenly it cooks. You’ll want it about 1/8″ thick. Your puree should be thin enough that it pours, but thick enough to stay put where you spread it.
Cook: Set your oven temperature to the lowest setting. Mine is 170, many ovens will go down to 140. 170 works great, and it will be a little faster than 140. You’re basically just warming the air, helping the fruit dry faster. This is where you will have to be patient. It takes about 6-8 hours, sometimes longer, for it to dry. If you aren’t going to be at home and you don’t want to leave your oven on, just keep the oven door shut and turn it off while you’re gone. Turn it back on when you get back and it will just keep on drying. II made my batch in the evening So when I was ready to go to bed, I turned the oven off and turned it back on in the morning until it’s done. (or you can cook it in a food dehydrator in about 1/2 the time).
You can test it by touching the center of the fruit mixture- it should not stick to your finger, and not indent when you touch it.The edges will cook faster than the center; if the edges look like they’re getting crispy, you can cut those off later, or brush them with a little water or juice during the baking process to rehydrate. Or if you overbake the entire pan, you can also brush with a little water until it’s pliable again.Most of the little rolls will stay rolled, but if they need help, you can always attach a little piece of tape, or a twist tie to keep them all bundled up.
They make yummy little treats in lunch boxes... Or healthy snacks (for Mom and Dad too!)
Since the drying process is long, fit as many pans in your oven as you can! We love to do all different colors and flavors and experiment with flavor combinations. It’s also a good idea to make lots because these will be gone in a heart beat.
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