Fruit Leather Failing

By now I'm sure you've all realized I have no problem sharing when a project or recipe doesn't turn out quite the way I wanted it to. Well, if you like failures, today's post should be quite fulfilling for you.

I really like fruit leather, and have since I was about 5. Everyone teased me for liking it for years, and somehow now it's becoming cool? WHAT?! Not fair. Well, if you go to the snack aisle in Target you can find about 15 different kinds of it now. Being that I'm no longer called a granny for liking it, I thought I'd try my hand at making it. There are recipes all over Pinterest, and they all include fruit, sugar, lemon juice, and water. 

Easy, right? How could you screw it up? Well, my friends, choose the recipe that tells you that making it on wax paper will work, and THAT'S how you screw it up. I read it and thought "Hm, that seems odd!" but figured the cook must be right. I know realize they must have meant parchment paper, because fun fact:

WAX PAPER IN THE OVEN MELTS LIKE A CRAYON AND STICKS TO EVERYTHING.

Okay. I'm sorry. I'll calm down. 

The deal is, the pieces I managed to pull off were delicious, so when I'm done being frustrated I'll make it again. 

WHAT YOU'LL NEED:

- 2 cups worth of chopped strawberries

- 1 Tbsp fresh squeezed lemon juice (and zest if you have it!)

- 1 Tbsp white sugar (more or less to taste)

- 1 Tbsp water

- Parchment paper

- Tiny bit of butter or crisco

HOW TO MAKE IT HAPPEN:

1. Preheat oven to 150 degrees (this shouldn't take long!)

2. Chop up your strawberries and throw them into a sauce pan with the water and lemon juice.

3. Cook on medium low until the strawberries are bubbling slowly.

4. Throw the strawberry mixture into a food processor or blender with sugar and blend until smooth.

5. Line cookie sheet with PARCHMENT PAPER, grease/butter lightly and spread mixture until even. 

6. Place in oven and cook for 6 hours at 150. Yes, this is a long time. I know. If your oven doesn't go as low as 150, keep it as low as it'll go and slightly prop the door open! You don't want your leather to burn!

7. Let it cool, and peel it off!

Now please, please, please use parchment paper. Otherwise your wax paper will melt in with your fruit leather, making it impossible to peel off. This is what you'll end up with:

 Pathetic, I know. Also: heartbreaking. 

 I feel a little ridiculous peeling the stuff off in tiny pieces but after waiting for it for 6 hours, there was no way I was going to let it all go to waste! The tiny bits I got were delicious. 

 Anyone ruined any recipes lately to make me feel any better? 

Do share.

xo, lp