With fall and Thanksgiving upon us, apples are plentiful in the grocery stores. This simple recipe is a great option if you are planning ahead for a Thanksgiving gathering, or looking to pack something fun in your child’s lunch. Trade in that high calorie Thanksgiving pie for this tasty and healthy treat.
Ingredients
· 2 green apples, each quartered
· sunflower butter (or natural peanut butter if you prefer; but be conscious of peanut allergies!)
· 32 sunflower seeds
· 2-3 strawberries, sliced
· 1-2 googly eyes per apple bite (These can be found in the baking or cake decorating section)
Instructions
1. Cut each apple into quarters. Cut the middle out of each quarter of the apple to create a mouth. Don't worry about perfection; this gap will be filled with sunflower butter.
2. Coat the inside of the cut gap with a filling of sunflower butter.
3. Place 4 sunflower seeds on the top of the "mouth" for the teeth.
4. Place 1 sliced strawberry inside the mouth for the tongue.
5. "Glue" each eye above the mouth with a dab of sunflower butter to stick.
If you are making these ahead of time, here are a few ways to keep the apples from turning brown:
· Soak them in a bowl of cold salt water for 3-5 minutes. Don’t use too much salt or it will affect the taste of the fruit. Dissolve 1/2 teaspoon of salt per 1 quart (4 cups) of water. Rinse.
· Soak them in a bowl of cold lemon water. This is better than squeezing the lemon juice directly on the fruit, unless you don't mind the fruit tasting really lemony. Mix 1 tablespoon of lemon juice per 1 cup of water. Rinse.
Enjoy!
Be Well,
Sarah.
Original Silly Apple Bites recipe.