Raspberry Peach Fruit Leather

Since we're knee-deep in summer right about now, I can only hope that you're making the most of it by enjoying many bucketfuls of fresh fruit! For the bucketfuls of fruit that won't fit in your mouth, stretch that berry goodness by making some fruit leather.

Have you ever looked at the ingredients in fruit roll-ups that you buy in the store? It's ridiculous!

• corn syrup
• more corn syrup
• sugar
• preservatives
• artificial coloring and flavoring

Why not make something at home that won't put your kids in an early grave!

Ingredients

• 1 peach (washed, peeled if desired)
• 1 cup organic raspberries (I used frozen)
• 3/4 cup organic applesauce (or about two of those little applesauce cups)
• 2 Tbsp. honey or agave nectar (optional) but raspberries can be a bit tart, so I suggest you add the sweetener

1. Since I hate berry seeds, I blended my frozen raspberries with a tiny bit of water in a blender. Then, using a fine mesh strainer, strained the blended raspberries to get the seeds out.
2. Return strained raspberry puree to blender. Add the applesauce and honey to blender. Blend for a few seconds. 
3. Take a little bit of coconut oil (or cooking spray, even) and rub it on your dehydrator sheets. 
4. Spread the fruit mixture over two dehydrator sheets. (Mine have big circles in the middle of them). 
5. Dehydrate for 6-8 hours at around 120-125 degrees F. The temperature and timing will depend on your dehydrator. Like I said, my dehydrator has circular sheets with holes in the middle. You may have to adjust! Good luck!

Apple Pear Crumble

Keeping with the fall season theme of my past few posts, I present to you the tastiest dessert chock-full of my favorite fall-time fruits: apples and pears!

For this oat and almond based crumble, I used organic Golden Delicious apples and organic Bartlett pears. Sooooo tasty! 

For the crust/base, I used a mixture of oats, oat flour, and almond meal. I'm sure you could substitute another kind of nut for the almonds, like pecan, hazelnut, etc. 


What you'll need:
adapted from Gluten Free Hope's Maple Peach Crumble

• 3 organic apples, sliced thinly
• 1-2 pears, peeled, sliced

• 1/2 cup almond meal (I just put 1/2 cup almonds in the food processor and pulsed until coarsely ground)
• 1/2 cup GF oats
• 1/2 cup GF oat flour
• 1/4 cup brown rice flour
• 1/4 cup tapioca starch/flour
• 1/2 cup sucanat
• 1 tsp. baking powder
• 1/2 tsp. sea salt
• 1 tsp. cinnamon, plus extra for sprinklin'
• 1 Tbsp. flax meal
• 1/2 cup vegan butter, Earth Balance, melted
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract
• 1 Tbsp. coconut oil (or more butter)
• Poured over top: 
• 1/4 cup apple juice
• 3 Tbsp. maple syrup

Oat and almond base.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. 

1. Mix all dry ingredients together in large bowl. 
2. Melt vegan butter in microwave, then add 1 tsp. vanilla, stir.
3. Add the melted butter to the dry ingredients, along with the coconut oil. Press into bottom of a lined 9x9 inch pan. 
4. Take your sliced fruits and arrange them however you like on top of the base. 
5. Now, mix the apple juice and maple syrup together. Pour over the top of apples and pears. Sprinkle with more cinnamon!
6. Bake in preheated oven for 35-40 minutes. 

*** Serve with coconut ice cream, or eat as is! ***