Beauty and the Beast Rose Apple Pastry
If you like the beauty and the beast as much as I do, you’re going to love this recipe. These pretty pastries look like they should be in the glass cabinet of a patisserie with their delicate layers and swirl of apples.
Wow your guests at your next dinner party by presenting these little apple pastry roses, nestled in a shell of crisp buttery pastry, full of sweet cinnamon and brown sugar. They will soon request the name of your pastry chef, however, you are the pastry chef because these pastry roses do not require a diploma in baking!
In fact, they are as easy as pie – apple pie.
Who would have thought such a beautifully intricate pastry, with the layers of apple slices appearing to bloom like a rose’s petals, could be so easy to make? As, yes, my apple pastry roses are effortless, yet can be the pièce de résistance for your next dinner party, family gathering, buffet – at any upcoming foodie event they will be the star of the show!
And not only that, but they taste delicious too! You can’t go wrong with the combination of apples and pastry, just add a sprinkling of cinnamon and brown sugar and you’re good to go. What emerges from the oven are so buttery and crisp, yet soft in the center, one apple rose won’t be enough to satisfy you – or your guests!
Curious to make my apple pastry roses? Read on to find my recipe!
WHAT INGREDIENTS DO I NEED FOR APPLE PASTRY ROSES?
These apple pastries look like showstoppers, so you would expect a long list of ingredients and equipment. However, my recipe for apple pastry roses is so easy, you can do them just before a dinner party as they take no time at all.
You will need:
– Red-skinned apples – the red skins are not only eye-catching against the pastry, but the slices of apple resemble roses’ petals so make sure you pick up ruby red apples at your grocery store. I love Pink Ladies but choose whichever you prefer.
– Puff pastry dough – Ready-made puff pastry is a gift from the gods! Instead of spending hours mixing and folding pastry and butter, you just need to grab a pack of puff pastry dough at the store and ta-dah! Half the job is done already! Plus, shop-bought puff pastry is flawless and easy to use for those with less time on their hands.
– Fresh lemon juice – to keep your apple slices from going brown
– Cinnamon – an apple’s partner in crime! Cinnamon complements and highlights apples’ sweetness.
– Brown sugar – brown sugar has the warm rich flavor of caramel, soothing apples’ tangy sourness. Apples, brown sugar and cinnamon are such a winning combination that they hardly need an introduction!
– Ground almonds – to soak up the juices at the bottom of the apple roses. Fruit pies and tarts can easily find themselves with soggy bottoms when the juices seep into the pastry, however, ground almonds prevent that from happening, soaking up all the melted sugar and apple juice.
TIPS FOR MAKING MY APPLE PASTRY ROSES
So, you have all your ingredients to make some apple pastries, what’s next? Here are some tips to guide you through the recipe:
– Thinly slice your apples. Slice your apple in half horizontally, then halve each again so you have quarters that are easy to handle. Remove the core and finely slice it with a sharp knife. You can also use a mandoline if you have one but be careful as those things can chop off fingers!
– Soak your apple slices in a water bath with lemon. This will prevent your apple slices from oxidizing – when the exposed flesh reacts to the air and turns brown. As you slice each apple, add the slices to the bowl of lemon water.
– Microwave your apple slices. A quick blast in the microwave softens the apple slices so they are softer and more malleable. There is less chance of the pieces snapping as you roll them into the pastry. Afterwards, carefully dry the apple slices on paper towels.
– Roll out the pastry into long strips. These puff pastry strips should be about 2 inches high.
– Mix the apples, cinnamon, and brown sugar. Instead of sprinkling a little cinnamon and brown sugar over the apples and pastry which will have less flavor, toss the apples in a mixture of cinnamon and sugar so they are well coated.
– Line the apples. Place 8 or 9 pieces of apple on the top half of the pastry, skin-side up. You want the apple to be just above the pastry, so the slices are visible. Brush the bottom half of the pastry with a little egg wash then sprinkle with ground almonds.
– Fold the pastry and roll. Cover the apples with the bottom half of the pastry strip. Carefully roll the pastry from one end to the other to make a tight swirl and a little rose should appear! Bake them in a muffin case to keep the beautiful rose shape.
It’s as easy as that! It doesn’t take a pastry diploma or a restaurant chef to make my recipe for apple pastry roses, but all the same, you will amaze your happy guests. Or you can just keep them all for yourself!
APPLE PASTRY ROSES
Ingredients
- 3 Red-skinned apples Pink Lady Apples
- ½ Lemon juiced
- 3 tbsp Brown sugar
- 1 tsp Ground cinnamon
- 2 Packets of puff pastry dough or pie crust dough
- ¼ cup Ground almonds
- 1 Egg yolk
- Butter or oil spray for greasing
- Powdered sugar for dusting
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375°F / 176°C.
- Cut the apples into two portions and then halve again into quarters. Slice them into really thin pieces. Take a large microwaveable bowl and add the apple slices. Fill with water and squeeze over the lemon juice.
- Now heat the apples in the microwave for at least 3 minutes until they are a little softer.
- Take a small bowl and combine the sugar and cinnamon.
- Strain the excess water from the apple slices and pat them dry. Add them to the cinnamon and sugar mixture and mix the everything together well. Be careful not to break the apple slices.
- Now cut the puff pastry into long strips. Place at least 8 or 9 apple slices on the top half of the puff pastry strips skin-side up. The width of the strips should not be more than 2 inches.
- Brush the puff pastry with egg yolk and then sprinkle a little of the ground almonds on the bottom half of the pastry.
- Next, fold the bottom half of the puff pastry over the apple slices and then, starting from one end, tightly roll the puff pastry with the apples, and suddenly you will notice it's already looking like a pretty apple rose.
- Now take a muffin pan and brush it with some melted butter, or you can also use regular oil spray, and then place those cute apple roses in each hole.
- Place the muffin pan on the middle rack of the oven and let them bake for 35 minutes or until the pastry becomes crisp and golden brown and the apple slices are cooked through.
- When the apple rose tarts are fully baked, remove them from the oven, transfer the pastries to a wire rack and let them cool for a few minutes. Lastly, sprinkle some powdered sugar on these pretty apple roses and garnish them with beautiful rose petals.
