Remove most of the peel from 4 large apples. Cut the apples in half and take out the seeds and core. Using a small knife, carve a face on the round side of each half (cuts on the surface will be magnified after shrinking so do this carefully). Make the facial features large since their size will be reduced quite a bit. Now, stir together 1 cup of lemon juice and 1 tablespoon of coarse salt and immerse the apple halves in the mixture. Let them soak for 1 minute, and then place them on paper towels to drain. Lay the apples face-side up on a baking pan lined with parchment paper and bake at 250° for about 90 minutes. You can either toss these into drinks or coat them with polyurethane or shellac if you want to preserve them. |