Cornelian Cherry Fruit Leather
Tart and chewy Cornelian cherry fruit leather made with ripe fruit and just a little sweetener, then slowly dried in the oven.
Ingredients
- 500 g ripe Cornelian cherries
- 50 ml water
- 15 g honey or syrup to taste
Instructions
- Add the Cornelian cherries and water to a medium saucepan. Cover and cook over low heat for 15–20 minutes, stirring occasionally and lightly mashing the fruit as it softens.
- Once the cherries have completely broken down, press the mixture through a coarse sieve or colander using the back of a ladle. Discard the stones and tougher skins.
- Taste the purée and stir in the syrup or honey. Add only enough to balance the natural sourness of the fruit. If your fruit were very ripe and it tastes very sweet, add a little lemon juice to bring back the sourness.
- Line a large, flat baking tray with non-stick baking parchment. Spread the purée evenly to approximately 3 mm thick, leaving the outer edges very slightly thicker.
- Dry in a 70°C / 160°F fan oven for around 6–8 hours. Begin checking after 5 hours. The fruit leather is ready when the surface is matte and dry, with a slightly tacky feel but no purée transferring to your finger.
- Remove from the oven and cool completely for 15–20 minutes. Flip the sheet over so the parchment faces upwards, then gently peel the paper away.
- Trim uneven or overly dry edges and cut into strips approximately 3–4 cm wide and 15–20 cm long. Roll each strip from one end. If the leather is slightly sticky, place each strip on a piece of baking parchment and roll them together.
- Store completely cooled fruit rolls in an airtight container in a cool, dry place. A food-safe silica gel packet can be added to help prevent them absorbing moisture.
Notes
Variations and Substitutions
This Cornelian cherry fruit leather is naturally dairy-free and gluten-free. Using dandelion syrup or another plant-based syrup also keeps it vegan; honey does not.- Adjust the sweetness – Very ripe Cornelian cherries may need little or no sweetener. For particularly tart fruit, add dandelion syrup or honey gradually until the purée tastes balanced while still retaining its characteristic sourness.
- Apple and Cornelian cherry – Replace up to a third of the cherries with cooked apple for a milder, slightly sweeter fruit leather. Apple also gives the finished rolls a softer texture.
- Add warming spice – A small pinch of cinnamon or ground ginger can be stirred into the purée before drying, but keep it restrained so the Cornelian cherry flavour remains dominant.
- Swap the sweetener – Honey, dandelion syrup, maple syrup or a simple sugar syrup can all be used. Because liquid sweeteners add moisture, avoid adding much more than necessary.