Spiced mango fruit leather - Sweet summer memories and new inspirations

Much awaited mango trees laden with tiny sour green 'kayris' (raw mango) would call to me during March to May every year, I would get a bitter telling off from my grandmother when I sneakily stole these tiny piquant bursts of flavour as she waited expectantly for them come to full fruiting glory - As girls in Pakistan we savoured sour raw mango dipped courageously in black salt, red chilli and lemon juice - our savoury tooth was never satiated between raw tamarind and mango in the Spring months, always dissuaded by stories of tangy fruit making our adolescent bodies a bit more 'womanly', something a 8 year old did not want to be taunted at school for!But, the real reason I would ever be tempted away from picking off the raw mangos would be the promise of fruit leather or as we know it, 'Aam Papar', in the summer. The only other equaliviant of fruit leather I ever craved growing up up the Betty Crocker fruit roll ups which were always a request to anyone going to America on holiday - full of sugar and very little fruit juice, they always did however fulfil a childish desire, with their annoyingly sticky constancy and equally annoying fake flavour and colouring. But nothing could beat my grandmothers 'Aam Papar' - natural sweet goodness, tough chewy tooth sticking texture and handmade with her passion. Recently a recipe posted by Monica Shaw had me straight down memory lane and it being the end of mango season in Pakistan now, I was tempted to recreate this memory using Monica's very simple recipe  as inspiration, made in the oven or a dehydrator. For the absence of the former, I have attempted them in my oven, mimiking the heat of the 35 degree sun this was left out to dry out in by my grandmother.Expect a burst of summer in a bite as you chew your way through this pure fruity goodness. Thanks Monica for the recipe which I have adapted with Pakistani inspired natural flavouring.  Salted Mango fruit leather with black pepper, honey and red chill flakesUsing Monica's basic recipe - but added spices and mango by me:Ingredients

• 2 large mangoes, preferably Pakistani Honey mangoes or any other sweet ripe mangoes, cored and cut into chunks
• 1 tablespoons honey
• Juice of half a lime
• 1/2 tsp red chilli flakes
• 1/2 tsp sea salt
• 1/2 tsp ground black pepper

Monica's Oven Method:

1. In a medium saucepan, on a low heat, cook the fruit until it is soft and the juices are released.
2. Cover, leave to cool, then put in the refrigerator to cool.
3. Preheat oven to its lowest temperature setting. (about 55-65 deg C)
4. Pour the fruit into a blender and add the honey, lemon and spices, then puree.
5. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
6. Pour the fruit mixture onto parchment lined pan – it should be about 1/8 inch thick.
7. Put in the oven and bake for 4-6 hours, until leather peels away easily from the parchment. Using scissors cut into rectangles and roll them up, parchment and all.

Monica's Dehydrator Method -

1. Follow the oven method through step 4.
2. Spread the mixture out onto a dehydrator sheet to about 1/8 inch thickness.
3. Dehydrate at 130 F / 50 C for four hours. Check the fruit leather periodically – when it peels away easily, peel it off, flip it over and dry for another hour or two.
4. Remove from dehydrator and use scissors or a pizza roller to cut it into you desired shapes.