Apple Crisps

I love crisps.. who doesn't?! It's such a shame though that the majority of crisps are high in both calories and fat.. they also tend to be not very filling (once you pop you just can't stop..!) and they don't contribute to your '5 a day' (unfortunately).

Apple Crisps: The only crisp that contributes to your 5 a day!

Now don't get me wrong, there are 'healthier' crisps [click here] now on the market and they really are lower in calories and fat than the standard bags. A standard bag of crisps (depending on weight) can be around 180 calories and 12g of fat, where as a 'lighter' or 'reduced fat' bag of crisps can be around 100 calories and 5g of fat. The amounts do vary however and I would recommend comparing packs if you're interested in their nutritional contents.

Going to back to my title.. Apple Crisps.. I had a craving for these last night and decided to experiment. I mean who doesn't want truly HEALTHY CRISPS?! A crisp that contributes to one of your '5 a day' and is VERY low in calories and virtually fat free?! Yes please!

I eagerly sliced some regular apples when I got home, sprayed them lightly with '1kcal spray oil' and popped them on a baking tray in a 200 degree oven for 30 minutes.. [left] is my first attempt. Although they look (and tasted) fantastic, they were a little soft (ie not like crisps).. which promoted me to experiment the next day in order to achieve the perfect apple crisp.

And here is what I tried.

1) I bought some lovely Pink Lady Apples (for their sweetness) and dug out my 'extra' ingredients to try... 1kcal spray oil, lemon juice (to stop the apples from browning) and sugar dissolved in water.

2) I then pre-heated my oven to 120 degrees C, thinly sliced my apples and placed them on a baking tray covered with foil.

3) I then added my 'extra' ingredients to try. I sprinkled some with just lemon juice, sprayed some with just oil, and brushed on a mix of sugar, water and lemon to the rest..

4) I then popped them in to the oven for 3 hours, turning them half way. After letting them cool it was time for taste testing :) (thanks little sis)

Top then Clockwise: Lemon Juice, Oil, Sugar Mix.

And the verdict?? We LOVED THEM ALL.. But honestly, if I had to suggest one 'extra' ingredient it would be... JUST LEMON JUICE.

(in my opinion the sugar mix made the apple crisps slightly too sweet and the oil made the apples almost burn and crisp up too much).

Happy crisp making :)

Nichola x

P.s I did have a slight blooper for one batch... after one hour I became impatient and whacked the oven up to 200 degrees.. DO NOT DO THIS! It burns the crisps... oops!

Final Recipe...

Apple Crisps

HEALTHY CRISPS?! A crisp that contributes to one of your '5 a day' and is VERY low in calories and virtually fat free?! Yes please!

Time to prepare: 10 minutes

Cooking time: 2-3 hours (+ time for cooling)

Ingredients: Apples & Lemon Juice

Method:
1) Pre-heat your oven to 120 degrees C, then thinly slice your apples and placed them on a baking tray covered with foil.
2) Sprinkle the slices with lemon juice.
3) Bake them in to the oven for 3 hours, turning them half way. After letting them cool eat & enjoy :) (or store in an air tight container for later).