This month my Blogger CLUE friends and I are going on a picnic! We were tasked with searching our assigned blogs for picnic food. With the beautiful weather, the season is just begging us to bring a blanket and sit outside for hours.
I was assigned the blog A Mama, Baby, & Shar-pei in the Kitchen written by Alice. Alice is a mother to two active girls and one funnily named puppy. She gives a story about her dog’s name (Patella Starscream) and it made me think very much of my husband, too, who would also have loved to name our child after a Transformer.
In searching through Alice’s blog I discovered that we share a love for Harry Potter. She created her own Felix Felicis! (For those of you non-HP nerds, Felix Felicis is a potion that provides the drinker luck for a day. Alice’s version is a cold remedy and I’ll definitely have to try it when cold season comes back around.) I also stumbled up a post about creating Ciabatta in which she likened herself to Hermione Granger. Seriously, Alice and I need to meet but as she lives in England I don’t see that happening.
On my hunt of picnic foods I narrowed it down to Buttermilk Fried Chicken, Pasta Salad, and Apple Chips. As you can tell, I settled on Apple Chips. Apple chips are incredibly easy to make and yet I’ve kept crossing them off my to-do list. For Christmas TWO years ago I’d asked for a mandolin with the intention of making apple chips. Finally the moment has come, thank you Alice and Blogger CLUE for the push! Alice used Granny Smith apples for her chips and while I do prefer that variety I wanted to try and recreate those bagged apple chips I enjoyed as a kid so I grabbed Red Delicious. (I NEVER buy Red Delicious apples, the texture of them is not my favorite and I don’t feel they have that apple crunch and quality that apples should have. But, for apple chips – perfect.)
When I started typing up this post I realized I forgot a step in making the apple chips. How sad is that?! There are only three steps! (Four if you count preheating the oven.) I forgot to spray the chips with cooking spray before seasoning and putting them in the oven so they didn’t hold their crisp. I have another apple though and I’m going to give this snack another try.
Apple Chips
Ingredients:
- 1 apple (I used Red Delicious)
- pumpkin pie spice (or other spice/spice blend)
- cooking spray
Steps:
- Preheat oven to 200 degrees F and arrange racks in top third and bottom third of the oven. Line two cookie sheets with parchment paper.
- Using a mandolin (or very sharp knife) carefully cut apples to 1/8″ thickness. Remove any seeds.
- Place apples in a single layer on the prepared cookie sheets. Spray gently with cooking spray. Sprinkle with pumpkin pie spice.
- Bake 2 hours, or until crisp. Gently peel the apples up from the parchment paper and allow to cool on the cookie sheets. Store in an air tight container.
*This recipe is adapted from Alice at http://www.acookingmizer.com/2011/10/20/make-your-own-apple-chips/*
Here’s a list of the other players of Blogger CLUE this month:
- (Almost) Nancy’s Chopped Salad w/ Oregano Vinaigrette by Heather from girlichef
- Apple Chips by Lauren from Sew You Think You Can Cook
- Barbecue Chicken Salad w/ Smoky Barbecue Vinaigrette by Kate from Kate’s Kitchen
- California Quinoa Greek Salad;by Christiane from Taking on Magazines
- Carrot Cake Cookies by Kathy from Bakeaway with Me
- Chicken Salad w/ Peanut Dressing by Azmina from Lawyer Loves Lunch
- Chicken Waldorf Salad by Aly from Cooking in Stilettos
- Duck with Pear Wraps + Limeade with Chia Seeds by Kelli from Kelli’s Kitchen
- Fried Apple Pies by Liz from That Skinny Chick Can Bake
- Green Bean & Corn Salad by Alice from A Mama, Baby and Shar-pei in the Kitchen
- Loaded Baked Potato Salad by Lea Ann from Cooking on the Ranch
- Oatmeal Peanut Butter Date Cookies by Rebekah from Making Miracles
- Olive Sables by Lisa from Authentic Suburban Gourmet
- Poolside Sips by Christy from Confessions of a Culinary Diva
- Puff Pastry Antipasto Squares by Anna from annaDishes
- Smoky Pimento Cheese Spread by Debra from Eliot’s Eats
- Sweet and Spicy Barbecue Baked Beans + Chickenburger Roll-in-a-Basket by Kathy from A Spoonful of Thyme
- Thomas Keller’s Chocolate Chip Cookies by Kim from Liv Life
- Tuscan Bean Salad by Stacy from Food Lust People Love
- Watermelon Feta Salad by Jean from Lemons and Anchovies
- White Bean, Bacon and Rosemary Salad by Wendy from A Day in the Life on the Farm
Sew You Think You Can Cook 
Love these!! Such a fun and tasty treat! I’ve never tried these either – will have to give them a try at home. I sure do love the bagged ones I’ve had before.
I haven’t even seen the packaged Apple chips anywhere recently! Not that I’ve been searching for them.
Well they look beautiful. We never would have known you forgot the oil spray had you not told us.
Thanks, Wendy.
I want to make these and very soon. So pretty and healthy. I had no idea they’d be this easy either. Great choice.
Thanks! I’ll definitely be making them again.
Ahhh… they look great though! 🙂 Oh, and I live in Japan now… I need to update my About Me page a bit!! LOL!! I’m glad you enjoyed my blog – that Buttermilk Fried Chicken is no joke though – hope you enjoy it, its our favorite fried chicken recipe!
🙂 I always notice updates I need to make to my About page during events like this, too.
They look so pretty! I am going to make some of these for my grandson – he will love them!
Enjoy!
What a great idea for a picnic….or anytime. I can hardly wait for apple season so I can give this a try!
Yea, I thought they fit the picnic theme. Everyone needs a little sweet 😉
I love dried apples, but apple chips may even surpass those! Cannot wait to try these—what a yummy, healthier alternative to potato chips 🙂
Dried apples!?? I didn’t know that was a thing. I’ve got to find those.
I love apple chips! Pumpkin pie spice is a great seasoning idea.
Oh do these look good! I love apple chips! Can’t wait to give them a try. Great choice for a picnic!
Thanks, I hope you enjoy!
Great pick! I always buy these but never think to make them – now I have a great recipe!
I haven’t seen them to buy! But yes, it’s so simple to do at home.
Ha! I’m glad I’m not the only one that finishes a dish only to realize that I totally skipped a step! 🙂 That being said, your chips look delightfully crispy and delicious, even with the missed cooking spray.
Hehe. Glad I can make someone feel better. 😉 they were perfectly crispy right out of the oven but didn’t hold the crisp very long. Still delicious though!
Oh these sound great! I love the sound of the pumpkin pie spice. These are perfect for a picnic! Yum 🙂
Thanks!
We are apple lovers around here and I know these would be a quick hit. Now I can’t wait to surprise my husband by making these for him!
I hope he likes them! And you too of course.
I love apple chips but never thought to make them myself. Thanks for ferreting out this recipe on Alice’s blog!
My pleasure! 🙂
Your chips turned out just beautifully! I’ve only tried them once, but when I did I burnt the heck out of them. But we’re headed on a roadtrip in a few weeks and i”m totally inspired to try again!
They’d be perfect for a road trip! That’s just a fancy moving picnic 😉
I would love these on a picnic!