It’s time to revamp your snacks.This apple snack is a great way to apply fancy pastry techniques to healthful and balanced snacks. With this presentation style, kids and adults alike will be begging for more.Here’s the secret. It’s all about painting nut butter on your plate. Grab a pastry brush and dip it in a nut butter, then paint a line down the center of the plate. I love using nutella, peanut butter, almond butter, or soy nut butter. If you don’t have a pastry brush, use a knife to spread the nut butter on the plate, then use the tines of a fork to make a pattern in the spread.Once you’ve got your nut butter base, add crispy apple slices and top them with thin shavings of cheese. I love the way a vegetable peeler makes an ounce of cheese feel like a generous serving. Use the crispiest apples for the best texture, and consider brushing the slices with a bit of lemon or orange juice to prevent browning.Of course, you don’t have to stop there. You can sprinkle the plate with raisins or dried cherries, or you can arrange a stack of whole-grain crackers on the side of the plate. You could even dip some celery into the nut butter as well. Feel free to make this tasty snack your own!Here are some ideas for the most fun snack plate…Nut Butters:

• Almond butter
• Cashew butter
• Nutella
• Peanut butter
• Sunflower seed butter (a.k.a. sun butter)

Cheeses:

• American cheese
• Brie
• Cheddar cheese
• Feta
• Goat gouda

Fruits or Vegetables:

• Apples
• Pears
• Celery

Garnishes:

• Dried raisins
• Dried cherries
• Drizzle of honey
• Sunflower seeds
• Toasted and chopped nuts
• Whole grain crackers

Which will you try first?Of course, I wouldn’t leave you hanging without a free handout. Here’s a brand-new PDF handout with the apple snack plate recipe. Members also get exclusive access to a kitchen equipment review of pastry brushes and a rundown of other great snack presentation ideas. What a treat!PS: This post is a preview from our new Plating and Presentation Class, which is now available inour online cooking school and the Nutrition Education Store. In the meantime, check out these other wonderful resources…