Apple Roses

Apple Roses

As Thanksgiving gets closer, I've been busy trying new recipes and desserts, trying to decide what to make for the actual occasion. Every year we host a mixture of family and friends and it makes for a different experience each time. This year we have other children coming and now that our son is old enough to have his own table, there are all kinds of treats and crafts to make. The first I'm trying out is the breaking the internet apple roses. I've seen these all over pinterest and facebook and every other social media outlet. Clearly, I had to see what the fuss is about. 

Starting out, there is a little prep that goes into them, but overall, they are pretty easy to make. I mixed a few recipes together and came up with the first batch. I could have baked them for about 5 minutes longer, but the taste was pretty epic. These might just be the centerpiece of the Thanksgiving desserts. Beautiful and tasty, yes! 

1. 3 large apples, I used Gala red.
2. 1/4 cup granulated sugar
3. 1 tsp. cinnamon, I used Vietnamese fancy cinnamon
4. 1 sheet thawed puff pastry
5. 1/4 cup+1 tsp unsalted butter
6. apricot preserve, I used a homemade version 
7. 1 egg
8. 2 tblsp water

1.Preheat the oven to 400 degrees if using individual ramekins, or 375 degrees if using a metal pan. Butter each ramekin and dust with sugar.

2. Cut the apples into halves and then slice as thin as possible. Heat a tsp of butter in a sauté pan, lay the slices in the heated butter for about 30 seconds each side. The goal is to make the slices flexible to roll into the rose shape but not be soft. 

3. Mix the cinnamon and sugar together in a small bowl.

4. Roll out puff pastry to 1/8inch in a rectangle. Use a pizza cutter to slice 3 inch rectangles. 

5. Melt the butter to brush over pastry strips. Then layer a thin layer of apricot preserve across the strip. Sprinkle with cinnamon and sugar. Place apple slices across the top inch of the pastry strip. Overlap the slices on each other till you get to the other end of the strip. Fold over the rest of the pastry strip over the apple slices like a pastry "folder". 

6. Mix the water and egg together to form a wash. Brush the outside of the pastry folder with the egg wash and seal the ends. Sprinkle with more cinnamon and sugar to taste.

7. Gently roll the folder into the rose shape, being careful not to tear the pastry or squish the apple slices. Finish the roll by sealing the end with the dough end. Gently put into the ramekin or metal tray. Sprinkle with remainder cinnamon and sugar.

8. Place tray in the middle of the oven. Bake in the oven for 45 minutes, or until golden brown.  Remove the tray from the oven and let sit for 5 to 10 minutes. Transfer to a cooling rack and let sit until fully cooled. Dust with confectioner's sugar if wanted. Enjoy!