Apple Fruit Leather — Unsweetened Oven-Dried Rolls

Wash the apples and remove the cores, but leave the skins on; they contain most of the pectin that holds the fruit leather together. Cut the apples into 2 cm pieces, put them in a pot, and add the lemon juice and water.

Cover and cook over medium heat for 18 minutes, until the pieces fall apart when pressed with a spoon. Remove from the heat, add the cinnamon, and blend with an immersion blender until completely smooth. The puree is ready when it coats a spoon and stays in place when the spoon is turned sideways. If it is still watery, uncover and boil for 5 more minutes.

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Pour the puree into the center and spread it toward the edges with a spatula. Keep it 3–4 mm thick throughout, leaving 2 cm clear at the edges of the paper. Tap the tray lightly on the counter two or three times so the surface levels and air bubbles rise out.

Set the oven to 80°C / 175°F and prop the door open by one finger-width with a wooden spoon. This recipe deliberately uses a temperature below the oven’s minimum setting: above 100°C / 212°F, the puree will boil instead of drying, the edges will darken, and the center will remain raw. Place the tray on the middle rack and let it dry.

The fruit leather is ready when pressing a finger on the surface leaves no residue and the sheet lifts from the paper in one piece. If the center is still sticky, leave it in the oven longer. Cut the sheet with its parchment into 1 cm-wide strips and roll each strip with the paper. The paper keeps the strips from sticking together.