Homemade Fruit Roll Ups

The twins are obsessed with gummy snacks!

I make every effort to find 100% vitamin C fruit snacks, but it is not always easy. Last weekend we attended our friend's daughter's first birthday. One of the many wonderful homemade snacks prepared -

homemade fruit roll ups. The minute we saw them, the Hubby looked at me and I was on my way to the hostess asking for the recipe.

Turns out... it's Martha!

The following week, the twins invited some friends over for a play date and I had an excuse to make them!

Apricot Fruit Roll Ups

Number 34

By: Martha Stewart

Ingredients

Makes 30

2 cups dried apricots

3 cups boiling water

2 tablespoons honey

1/2 cup sugar

Directions

1.Preheat oven to 160 degrees with rack in center. Place apricots in a large bowl, and cover with the water; let soak until they are completely soft, 30 to 45 minutes. Transfer to a fine sieve; drain, and reserve liquid.

2.Place apricots in the bowl of a food processor fitted with the metal blade; add honey and sugar. Process until mixture is very smooth and easily spreadable. If it is too thick, add up to 1 tablespoon soaking liquid.

3.Cover two 10-by-15-inch baking sheets with plastic wrap. Divide puree between the sheets; spread in a thin, even layer with an offset spatula. Let dry in oven until mixture is firm but slightly tacky, about 8 hours or overnight. Remove from oven; let cool.

4.Peel fruit leather from plastic wrap, and cut into 1-inch-wide strips using a pizza cutter. Roll tightly into cylinders, and serve.

***

Cook's Note: Plastic wrap does not mean Reynold's plastic wrap or any other brand of plastic wrap. Don't use it - it melts! I tried Wax paper and it worked just fine. You could also try parchment paper or use a cook spray on your pan. I found it easier to use the wax paper and then I didn't chance riping the leather rolls after removing from the pan.

Cook's Note 2: Over night does not mean 9 or 10 or 11 hours - stay closer to the 8 hours because the fruit starts to cook and the leather rolls are really tough leather! ;0)

Cook's Note 3: Instead of using a pizza cutter, I used kitchen scissors. It worked well because I had more control of the cut.  

As a side note, finding this recipe as led to another find - Martha Stewart Kids. Maybe I have just been under a rock and did not know that this existed, but I am really looking forward to trying out some of her ideas. Here is the link to her website... Martha Stewart Kids.

Happy Rolling!

Laura