I'm really enjoying my new IRL social group, but that there's the added attraction that they eat sweets. So I get the extra fun making interesting things for them. But, the choclate hound's birthday is coming though I've been warned that she is avoiding sweets and I shouldn't go there for her. That she likes berries. Since I don't grow berries, I was thinking of what to make from berries, and thought of patterned fruit leather, But I've never even made plain fruit leather. I've read up on it, and it seems pretty easy. I have silpats and a dehydrate setting, though I need to check the exact temperature. The air fry toaster oven might also. I've ordered some food syringes for making the patterns.

But is it really that easy? The recipies I've seen call for a layer of applesauce as a carrier (is that for the pectin?). They just say to pipe your purree on top. Any wisdom to add? Alternative recipes? Voice of experience?

How long ahead can I make it? The 'net says one month (not doing that, but if that's right, I could use a few days cushion, in case I screw it up). The recipes are all using natural parchment (which I use so have rolls of) as a wrapper, coiling long strips, and putting them in an air tight container at room temp.

Is there a reason long strips are best? Or is that just to look like the commercial stuff? I was thinking 3" squares might be prettier... Though I guess a long strip might be easier to bite a piece off of...

Anything else I'm not thinking of?

Thanks for any and all input!