I always say that if Mr NQN and I ever get divorced it will be over the cleaning. At least I know that the step between married bliss and divorce is the one where we hire a housekeeper.
For Mr NQN, there’s never any issue leaving discarded fruit cores or wrappers around. “Do you like my display?” he would say proudly. Meanwhile, within hours, fruit flies would be buzzing around his stash of apple cores that I would stubbornly leave unattended in an unsuccessful effort to teach him to tidy up.
I hate nagging, you do understand, most people do, but when you’ve asked six times to throw away the empty juice bottle or the apple cores that they’ve discarded in the path of all house traffic and you’ve almost tripped over it then their spouse’s best defence is to call it nagging. As if nagging was up there with serial killing. I like to call it “motivating” instead 
.
This is a Mr NQN proof snack and is one of those treats that leaves no trace. Literally because they are so good they’ll just disappear. I won’t lie, these are a bit of work, mostly in the waiting where you steep the apple slices overnight. The syrup infuses into the apple and you bake them for a few hours where they become as crisp as a potato chip or crackling. Usually dried apple slices have some moisture to them and they aren’t as crispy as crackling but not these little babies. Instead of deep frying then, they’re given crispness from the sugar syrup and before you point out that we’re simply exchanging one evil for another (oil for sugar), the sugar syrup mostly gets strained away. However, you can also use this to sweeten home made cordials or even in cooking-I used some to sweeten a batch of cooked oatmeal for Mr NQN’s breakfast.
They are a labour of love, much like marriage. And technically nagging too, if you insist
So tell me Dear Reader, are you the messy or neat one?
Crackling Crispy Apple Chips
Degree of difficulty: easy, if you have a mandolin and patience
Makes 1 cup of apple chips
- 1 apple (doesn’t really matter which kind, they all end up crispy)
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 cup water
- ground cinnamon (optional)
1. Finely slice an apple (ideally on a mandolin, setting 1 or the thinnest). You don’t need to peel it and these are best when the apple gets almost translucent in the syrup). In a small saucepan make a simple syrup by boiling the sugar and water for a few minutes until the sugar has been dissolved.
2. Soak the apple slices in the syrup making sure to fan them apart so that the syrup can be absorbed by the slices. Allow to steep overnight.
3. Drain in a strainer and preheat the oven to 100c/212F. Line two trays with baking parchment and bake for 2 hours. Allow to cool in the oven where they will become very crisp.
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54 Comments | Add your own
Delicious! A healthy treat. My grandfather dried apple slices in the sun…
Cheers,
Rosa
This sounds like a great recipe for me to have in my file. With 300 apple trees in my orchard in New Hampshire, I’m always looking for a new way of using apples.
It’s never even occurred to me that you could make apples crisp. Fascinating
Oh these look incredible Lorraine, can’t wait to try them!
How delicious! A labour of love indeed, Lorraine. And readers of NQN, please use the guard when slicing with a V-slicer! I used to sell them and work with them in the cooking school and they can be very ouch if you happen to catch a finger! A lovely recipe as always and I nag too about that sort of thing.
this looks great…will definitely have to try it out this weekend
Lol, Lorraine! You are so sweet, and I admire your patience! My patience is over at the count of three. And then I do the cleaning, mostly after our kids as my husband is a neat freak, really: before we got married, I visited his flat for the first time and was surprised to see everything in order. I thought it was just for show, just that one time. No, that’s the way he is.
As of the kids, to teach them a lesson, if they don’t clean after my three times warning, I go and collect everything and through it trash, even things they “really need”. After a few times, they became more responsive…
i like this!! oil-free chips
I think leaving discarded apple cores around is fair grounds for divorce.
Yum, these look delish!
I think my son will be home for a visit soon–I can promise I will make these. Thanks!
Messy.
What yumminess this is Lorraine! I’ll be making these and some pear ones this weekend for sure!
And I get waaaay to much fun doing so!
I would collect Mr NQN’S little display and place it some where he is sure to find it later- like a running shoe, or bike helmet or under a pillow. This is what I do with my kiddies stuff, explaining patiently that I thought they really must be attached to the ‘display’ or they would have thrown it out themselves, and I thought I was doing them a favour by putting it a safe place
I have very organized kiddies now, cause they know I would rather go to heaps of effort to make my point, then a smaller effort to pick up after them
Must you start ever post with a shocker ;p
This is a wonderful idea. But sugar syrup means these are sweet chips, right?
I’ve been making something similar for years, but I slice the apples a little thicker, leave the core in, toss them in brown sugar and black pepper and then bake them at a lower heat for longer. They still come out of the oven perfectly crunchy. They’re a fantastic snack and a brilliant addition to a cheese board. A friend of mind who lives in SA insists that I make a batch to accompany every one of her birthday and Christmas presents!
These look amazing! So much nicer than those soft spongey dried apples.
Unfortunately, I am the messy one, and Paul has many frustrations over it
I have always said … In fact it is my mantra to all my frustrated and despondent female friends … ‘Women don’t nag – we are forced into repeating ourselves!!’
I’m the neat one and get so frustrated with all the *stuff* that J leaves laying around the house. And don’t start me on how he finds it impossible to close any cupboard or draw!
As for cleaning, we pay someone else to do that, saves a lot of time and hassle.
Any food with the word “chip” in it gets my attention, although I am mortally afraid of my mandolin. those blades are vicious.
Oh, I’m definitely the messy one … but only by comparison I’d like to make clear, The Sparky boarders on OCD he’s that tidy!
Yum! I’ve made apple chips before but never soaked them like this.
I’m definitely the clean one although my man isn’t really very messy. Have to say I’m much more particular in a very annoying way!
Yum, and healthy too!
Ohhh these are great
And super easy to make but I don’t have a mandolin ~ maybe i should go get one hehe I thought it would be harder to make but it seems quite easy!
Do you steep the apples overnight and then you lay them on the baking trays?
OMG! These sound gorgeous. I was actually thinking about apple chips after your kale chip post but was thinking about doing something savory – you know, sweet and savory together – but these sound amazing. Doing them for the girls this hols xo
The thing is…opposites attract and the neat and tidy souls are somehow drawn to the messy, disorganised types. I have fallen victim to this too as my husband is so hideously messy and to add insult to injury, his messy gene was passed onto my two sons. As a result I now live with overwhelming mess and chaos. What to do? Love the apples but these too would make a lot of mess??? xx
Wow these look great ! First kale chips, now apple chips – what else can NQN turn into a chip? hehe
What a great healthy idea!! Now, I can enjoy as much snacks without any guilt
yum! i used to buy heaps of these from muji, bye bye muji and hello NQN recipe!
I’m pretty fanatically clean in terms of what might attract bugs/creatures (i.e. kitchen, bathroom, etc), but I don’t mind my place overall looking “lived in”, if you know what I mean
Can’t ever see you and Mr NQN getting a divorce
! Yes, a perfect abode is great, but there are a heap more important things in this world of ours than fussing over the ‘neat and tidy’ bit!! Somewhat neurotic methinks 
!
Hi Eha, I don’t imagine us ever getting a divorce either. Neurotic? So bugs are ok? Call me neurotic then!
@ Lorraine: nope, I draw the line on bugs, especially here in the country
! If sighted, matters to solve would assume first priority!! Thank God, critters do not seem to like me, my endless libraray, DVDs etc et al, wherever they are situated 
! DO have a happy weekend!!
Another fabulous and easy recipe. And i am TOTALLY WITH YOU re leaving crap around the house. The thing is Panu is ALL for getting a cleaner and even offered to pay for it all himself. But I’m such a stingy chinese person I can’t imagine paying someone to clean so I do it all MYSELF. Doesn’t sound like a good deal does it lol
anyway, yummy apple chips – looks easy too!!
These sound heavenly! I’d have no trouble inhaling them in one short sitting.
Oh Lorraine, sadly I’m the messy one married to another messy one but secretly we both long to be neat we just can’t make it happen. What hope do our kids have?
The apple chips look great.
These are healthy too and look delicious
Cheers
Choc Chip Uru
Dave is the same and some winter days I will leave the makings of breakfast untouched until he gets the hint
I’m the messy one.
Looks delicious, going to make this on the weekend
My husband is possibly even neater than I am and yet I still find plenty to nag about (although I truly do not like nagging and do not consider myself a nagger – although I am sure my husband would disagree). It must jsut be a part of our DNA and of marriage!
These look amazing, but definitely a labour love! I don’t think I have the patience but I promised to clean up if you cook them for me
… I am most definitely the clean one in our family. 
These sound delicious – though my weaknesses include mandolins – and impatience with those who don’t clean up after themselves. Yes sounds like a lot of sugar and a lot of yumminess – wonder if this would be a good use for apples past their best
Lots of love put in those chips! Sounds scrumptious and healthy too!
I am messy, I cannot deny it. I need an ‘Alice’ along the Brady Bunch lines, but to make yummy snacks like this rather than meatloaf!
I have a mandolin but am only semi-patient, so I guess for me these are semi-easy?
Fun recipe! Easy, and I’ll bet these taste wonderful. I used to be much messier and my wife much neater, and over the years we’ve kind of moved towards each other. We’re actually pretty neat these days, but our house certainly isn’t spotless. But we’re both comfortable, so no nagging on either of our parts! Good post – thanks.
Here in Peru things are quite easy as we have helpers at home. Normally, helpers stay at the houses for 6 days during a week, Sundays are their free day, which means that on Sundays we don’t have help. The point is that my lovely husband enjoys drinking whatever he want during all the day, but just on Sundays, and he loves to leave the dirty glasses on the sink, to be washed by whom???? And that is a battle that I lost long time ago…that is marriage…
Hehe. If Pete & I ever get divorced it will be for the same reason ! He claims I am the messy one when it comes to clothes and papers ( no disgarded food items though) . Get recipe
I always wondered how to get apple chips so crisp. Thanks for sharing the secret.
I love apple chips, but have never made them. Can’t wait to try these!
YUM!
Sounds like both our husbands went to the “school for messy husbands”…drives me NUTSO! Your apple chips look delicious.
lorraine, cinnamon cannot be optional here! not for me, anyway.
Unlike my Renkon Chips, I have a feeling that I will succeed in baking these chips instead of deep frying (oh I wish I could bake lotus root too!). Looks amazing – will try this soon with the kids!
I love this healthy chips! I can eat a ton without feeling guilty!
I love how you were able to get such thin, crispy chips out of apples! I thought they were potato chips at first! I’m going to have to try this, although I’ll probably end up with thick, chewy ‘chips’ lol I buy bags of these once every few weeks..and they never look as good as yours! That said..I am messy/neat, if that makes sense. I’m a messy cook, and I have caused flies (sticky fly trap tape got rid of them..thank goodness) due to leaving the cleanup for later on. However, once every two weeks, I go on a cleaning frenzy and make sure everything is spic and span, then mess it up again lol
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