Winter Fruit Caprese

Start by sorting through your apple crisps to find the best pieces. You are looking for the fullest, least broken, least bendy and weird, and best looking. You need 24 pieces total, so you may have to start with a bag. Each piece will need to be big enough to hold at least a half a slice of kiwi. Set the winning pieces on a platter. Scoop the marscapone cheese into a pastry bag fitted with a star tip. Pipe a small dollop of cheese onto each apple chip. Next, place a piece of the sliced kiwi on the chips. If a chip is very small, cut the kiwi slice in half first. Finally, top each chip with a little bit of basil. Now try not to eat them all before your guests see them. Better yet, serve immediately.

A note on apple crisps: These are freeze dried sliced apples. Dried apples are usually chewy, but freeze dried apples are light, crispy, and have a texture more similar to a thick potato chip or a cracker. They are susceptible to moisture, however, and will become soggy if they sit too long with cheese or other ingredients on top of them. If you can’t find these in your local produce section, they can be found pretty easily online.