HOMEMADE CINNAMON APPLE CHIPS

For years I have loved to buy Apple Chips in the store, they were sweet, crunchy, and best of all....a lot healthier than regular potato chips.  I used to buy them in bulk and then one day, I went grocery shopping and NONE. There were none to be found in any of the grocery stores around here. I have to admit I was more than a little bummed. I even looked online from the manufacture to see where they were still being sold.  Then one day, I realized how simple these should be to make and decided to attempt it.  It is probably the simplest recipe in existence and they come out perfectly! Here's how I made these scrumptious treats!

WHAT YOU NEED:
*2 Apples (duhhh)
*1 tbsp. Cinnamon
*1/4 cup Sugar
*Mandolin Slicer (optional...but it sure does make this recipe a million times simpler)

WHAT YOU DO:
The first thing you do is preheat your oven to 250* (you don't want it any higher because it can make the sugar burn).  Next, line 2 large baking sheets with parchment paper.  Once your baking sheets are prepared, you are ready to slice your apples. 

I use a mandolin slicer because I prefer the simplest method possible when it comes to this. I absolutely hate chopping or slicing things when cooking and so I decided to spend the money on buying a slicer like this that has settings for all different types of slicing/chopping/etc.  However, if you do not have a slicer like this, you can surely slice the apples your self.  You want to get very slin slices so that they crisp up like chips.  The thicker the slices the softer your chips will be (and who wants soggy chips). 

Once you slice your apples, you want to lay them in a single layer on the baking sheets.  You can overlap the edges, but I wouldn't overlap anymore than what I have pictured.  If they overlap too much, they won't crisp either and you will end up with one big chip. 

Next, combine 1/4 cup of white sugar and 1 tbsp. cinnamon in a small bowl.  You may think that it doesn't make a lot for all those apple slices, but trust me, you won't even end up using all that.  Once you combine the sugar and cinnamon, just lightly sprinkle some on each apple slice.  You won't need much because apples are naturally sweet.  Then place apples in the oven for 3 hours (yes 3 hours), they need to bake on very low heat for a long time in order to dry out.  After about an hour and a half, flip all the slices over. (They will be slightly stuck to the parchment paper, but should be no more difficult to peel off than peeling a new sticker off the backing sheet).  They won't be crispy at this point.  Place back in the oven for the remaining hour and a half.  Once the 3 hours are over, turn the oven off and leave apples in the oven for another hour while the oven cools.  This will crisp the chips up nicely.  Then enjoy :)