Sunbutter Apple Sailboats

Sunbutter Apple Sailboats:  The first recipe I ever made, except they were called "Christopher Columbus Ships".  This was many, many years ago when I attended kindergarten....back when Pluto was a planet, when Columbus, indisputably, discovered America, when you had to get up to change the TV channel, and when you thought you were bad-ass for having a 14 pound, touch-tone, cordless phone. 

That's right, the year was 1981:  Ronald Reagan became President, Lady Diana married Prince Charles, the PostIt note was invented, and a young Kimmy V. was introduced to this culinary treat.  It obviously stuck with me - 32 years later I am still making these. 

My teacher used this as a visual aid to explain about Columbus and his theory of how the world was round.  The quartered apple represents the ship....clearly she ate a section, and we learned of the 3 ships that sailed around the world:  The Nina, The Pinta, The Santa Maria (suppressing the urge to sing 'Boats & Hos' from Stepbrothers).  The peanut butter, now Sunbutter, represents the ship's deck; the raisins - the crew; and the cheese - the ship's sail.

I have always felt a kinship with good ol' Christopher C.  I was born on Columbus day AND on the year we celebrated the bicentennial anniversary of the USA.  Plus, Chris and I are both of Italian descent (and both have the moustache to prove it!).

The taste combination is killer:  sweet, tart, crisp apple, sweetened dried fruit, mixed with savory, salty sunbather, then topped with a sharp cheddar cheese = wicked good!!  Why Sunbutter, you ask?  As mentioned in my Sunny Honey No-Bake Cookie  post, 

And in my Scrambled Eggs & Food Allergy Talk post, we are a peanut free house.  Sunbutter is my favorite substitute for  peanut butter. 

I will admit, I've gotten lazy throughout the years.  I don't always raise the sails on these, sometimes I just layer the cheese over top and call it good.  My tastes have changes too, I use sharp cheddar cheese in place of the processed American cheese that I loved so, years ago. 

So, go on!  Play with yo food!! 

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Sunbutter Apple Sailboats

makes 1 serving

1 apple

1-2 TBS Sunbutter, divided

1 TBS raisins, divided

1 slice sharp cheddar cheese, divided

4 toothpicks, optional

Quarter and core the apple.  Top each apple section with Sunbutter, then press the raisins into the Sunbutter.  Cut the cheese slice into 4 - cutting on the diagonal, top left to bottom right, then in the opposite direction, creating 4 diamond-shaped pieces of cheese - weave a toothpick each piece to create the sails - stick atop each apple section.  

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