Apple Roses Recipe
Sliced apples wrapped in puff pastry and baked into a rose shape, with brown sugar cinnamon filling.
Servings: 12 roses
Ingredients
- 3 (3) Apples, medium, firm, red-skinned apples, such as Pink Lady or Jazz
- 2 tablespoon (2 tablespoon) Lemon juice
- 2 teaspoon (2 teaspoon) Ground Cinnamon
- 2 tablespoon (2 tablespoon) Light brown sugar
- 450 g (2 sheets) Puff pastry, *
- 3 tablespoon (3 tablespoon) Jam, I used apricot, but any kind will work
Instructions
- Thaw the puff pastry fully in the refrigerator before beginning.
- Pour the lemon juice into a medium bowl with a cup of cold water. Combine the brown sugar with the cinnamon and mix together. Spray a muffin pan with non-stick spray.
- Core the apples and cut them in half lengthwise. Place the flat side down on the chopping board and from the bottom of the apple to the top, start slicing into very thin slices, as thin as you can get them. You can use a mandolin if you prefer.
- Place the apple slices into the bowl of lemon water and make sure they are coated to prevent browning. Set aside.
- Unpackage the puff pastry sheets and place them on a lightly floured work surface. Roll them out into rectangles roughly ⅛-inch (3mm) thick.
- Cut each puff pastry sheet into 6 even strips and space them apart slightly on your work surface.
- Mix 2 tablespoons of the jam with a splash of hot water to loosen it up, then use a pastry brush to cover each of the strips in a thin layer of jam.
- Sprinkle each strip generously with the cinnamon brown sugar.
- Microwave the bowl of apples for 2 minutes to soften them - they should be flexible enough to bend into a curve without breaking. Then drain water and pat with a paper towel to remove any excess liquid. If they are too hot to touch, let them sit for a minute to cool off, but don't let them cool completely or they may firm up too much to roll.
- Place apple slices along the top edge of one of the pastry strips so they are just slightly sticking out over the edge. Line them up so that the next apple starts halfway across the last apple, until you reach the end of the strip (see pictures in the post above). I recommend placing the apple slices and rolling the roses from start to finish for each strip, one at a time.
- Fold the bottom of the pastry strip up on itself, as if you are tucking the apples into bed.
- Brush the top of the strip with a little more jam to help it stick, and then carefully start rolling up the pastry from one end to the other until you have a perfect little rose shape.
- Place the puff pastry rose inside a muffin pan cavity. Repeat with all 12 strips.
- Once all 12 roses are formed, place them in the refrigerator to chill while you preheat the oven to 400°F / 200°C (180°C fan).
- Bake the roses on the middle rack for 40-45 minutes. If the apples start to brown too much, you can tent them with some kitchen foil, though I personally love the look of the slightly charred edges!
- Once done, the pastry should be golden brown. Remove them from the oven and run a sharp knife around the edge of the pan if needed. Transfer the roses to a cooling rack immediately to prevent them from sticking to the pan or going soggy.
- Optional: For a shiny finish, melt the remaining tablespoon of jam in the microwave and brush it onto the top of the apples as a glossy glaze.
No microwave? Place the apple slices in a skillet with a splash of water and warm them over low heat for 5–10 minutes, checking frequently, until they bend without snapping.
Notes
The exact number of apples needed depends on the size of your apples and how thinly they are sliced; you may have some slices left over.
*Puff pastry – You’ll need approximately 450g (16 oz). Package sizes vary, so focus on rolling the pastry to 3mm (⅛ inch) thick and cutting it into 12 long, even strips.
See the post above for step-by-step process shots of how to make apple roses.