Sunday Treats: Healthy strawberry fruit rollups

When I was a little girl the living room was my stage.  I’d sing, dance and tell stories there and I demanded an audience.  I was a child that could talk and talk and talk and talk all day long.  So from time to time my mom bribed me, "I’ll give you 20 belgian franks (€0.5) if you stay quiet for 5 minutes”.  I know all you political correct people are rolling your eyes now but trust me, it hasn’t hurt me in the long run.  5 minutes seemed like an eternity and I used it to think about what candy I could get because I wanted to get the best value for my money.  5 minutes … as an adult that represents the blink of an eye, as a child it took forever to pass.  So if I succeeded I got to buy me some candy.  One of the things I loved were fruit rollups (they costed 3 belgian franks I think) so when I came across this recipe to make healthy one’s I just had to try it.  

Remember when you were a child and you’d fantasize about all the things you’d do when you were grown up?  You know "I’d stay up all night" or "I’d buy all the candy".  As an adult I don’t buy all the candy - or stay up all night, I like my sleep - because a) you know it’s no good for you and you’ll feel guilty afterwards and b) my stomach just can’t handle it anymore.  One fruit rollup and I’m done, but not with these healthy ones, I don't get that sick feeling when I eat more than one. 

You can make these with all sorts of fruits: strawberries, raspberries, cherries, blueberries, a berry mix, mango, peaches … anything really.  You can even make them with frozen fruits (which is great for winter when fruit is more expensive and has less flavor) but I do recommend thawing first.  They are very easy to make but they take quite a while before they are ready.  Perfect for that lazy sunday at home!

It was my first time making these so I have to adjust the recipe to my liking a bit more.  I left them in the oven a bit too long so they were a bit too dry I think.  The upside to these rollups is that you have a healthy option when you have a sweet craving and only need one for instant satisfaction.  

Ingredients:

• 500 gr strawberries ( around17.5 oz)
• sweetener of you choice (I used 2 tsp agave syrup)
• some lemon juice if you prefer

How to:

• preheat the oven to 75°C (or 170F)
• blend the strawberries (in a blender or food processor)
• add sweetener to your tasting
• line a baking tin with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat
• poor the mixture into the tin an spread it out evenly in a thin layer
• let it sit in the oven for about 4-5 hours until the center is set (it should still feel a bit tacky) - it's a dehydrating process so it has to be a low temperature for a long time
• remove from oven and let it cool
• carefully remove the fruit rollup and place the sticky side (the 'up' side) on parchment paper
• cut off the edges so you have a rectangle and then start cutting into strips
• roll them up firmly
• store in an airtight container