As most of us would agree, dessert needs to be more than something delicious that is simply put in front of you. It’s the entire experience that really makes dessert worth eating. Not only is it the smell of the food, it is the delicious taste and even the presentation. That is what makes these baked apple roses such a perfect idea for dessert.
Although I’ve seen some fairly impressive looking desserts before, none of them have come close to these baked apple roses. They are extremely impressive looking but they have a classic flavor that just takes them to the next level. When you consider the fact that they also include a puff pastry, it is the perfect choice. Make these for your family or for a romantic meal and you will find that it is the best choice you made a long time.
Ingredients:
Half a package puff pastry sheets (1 sheet), thawed
2 red apples
2 tablespoons lemon juice (from 1/2 lemon)
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour, to sprinkle on the counter
3 tablespoons apricot preserves
1/2 teaspoon or as needed, ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon or as needed, powdered sugar for topping (optional)
Directions:
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
Prepare a bowl half-filled with water and the lemon juice. Cut the apples in half, remove the core and cut the apples in paper-thin slices. Leave the peel so it will give the red color to your roses. Right away, place the sliced apples in the bowl so that they won’t change color.
Microwave the apples in the bowl for about 3 minutes, to make them slightly softer and easy to roll. If you prefer, you can also simmer the apple slices with the water in a small pan (on the stove). The apple slices should be cooked just enough to bend without breaking. If they break, you need to cook them a little more.
Unwrap the puff pastry over a clean and lightly floured counter. Using a rolling pin stretch the dough into a rectangular shape of about 12 x 9 inches. Cut the dough in 6 strips, each about 2 x 9 inches.
In a bowl, place three tablespoons of apricot preserves with two tablespoons of water. Microwave for about one minute (or warm up on the stove) so that the preserves will be easier to spread. Spread a thin layer of preserves on each strip of dough.
Drain the apples. Arrange the apple slices on the dough, overlapping one another. Make sure the top (skin side) of the slices sticks a little out of the strip. Sprinkle with cinnamon.
Fold up the bottom part of the dough.
Starting from one end, carefully roll the dough, keeping the apple slices in place. Seal the edge at the end, pressing with your finger, and place in a regular muffin cup. No need to grease the muffin mold if it’s silicone. Otherwise, make sure to grease with butter and flour (or spray).
Do the same for all 6 roses. Bake for about 40-45 minutes, until fully cooked. For best results, make sure the pastry is fully cooked on the inside before removing the roses from the oven! If after the first 30 minutes the apples start to burn on top, move the pan to a lower rack of the oven and finish baking. You can also cover loosely with aluminum foil for these last 10-15 minutes, to avoid burning the top.