MEXICAN SPICED STRAWBERRY FRUIT ROLL UPS

My daughter used to love Mexican candies, and many of them would have a specific fruit flavor with a hint of chili and lime to give them a little spice. That sweet and spicy zest was something she definitely had a soft spot for. She begged me for some almost every time she saw them, but fortunately for her teeth, they were pretty hard to come by!
Fruit roll ups were also a big favorite of hers. I can see what kids love about them.... you get to unroll a pretty sweet piece of candy that is soft and chewy at the same time. The problem with those is that they are full of sugars, GMO's, corn syrup, and a load of other questionable ingredients. I decided to combine two of her childhood favorites to make a fresh, healthy, and yummy homemade version of a fruit roll up using the flavors that she likes.
Because I want this recipe to be kid friendly, I give it only a hint of spices.  If you are making it for yourself or for kids that can take a little more heat, just double the chili powder, and/or add a little bit of cayenne pepper.
You will need a dehydrator to do this, as it is a raw food recipe. A dehydrator is something that I recommend for every household if you enjoy cooking, and are seeking a healthy lifestyle. They are very simple to operate, and you will find yourself using them a whole lot. Plus,when dehydrating under 118 F, you also get the benefit of keeping all of the nutrients intact in the food, as the temperature is too low to kill the enzymes. Talk about a great perk!  Dehydrators are definitely among my favorite pieces of equipment in the kitchen.

MEXICAN SPICED STRAWBERRY FRUIT ROLL UPS

Ingredients:

16 oz. of strawberries
1 teaspoon of chili powder
1/4 teaspoon of cinnamon powder
1/4 teaspoon of sea salt
1 tablespoon of lime juice
1 tablespoon of maple syrup

Preparation:

Place the ingredients in a blender and puree them until they become smooth.
Spread the mixture onto the dehydrator sheet to cover the whole piece. It should be 1/8-1/4 of an inch thick.
Place in the dehydrator set at 115 F, and dehydrate for about 8-9 hours until it is leathery and pliable. If it still looks like jelly, it needs to dehydrate longer (that usually happens in the center).
Carefully remove the fruit leather, cut it into long thin sheets to the desired width. You should be able to make between 4 to 8 strips per sheet depending on the width you choose.
Roll the sheets up.  You can use parchment paper cut into the same size, and placed over each piece to help the roll ups from sticking together, but that is optional.
Once rolled, tie them with a string.
Enjoy!