Apple Roses

Every year, my extended family of over 20 Midwesterners gets together for Thanksgiving. One time, I brought these apple roses for the dessert table. Everyone went crazy for them; there was a whole photoshoot for just the apple roses, then a separate one with me holding the apple roses, while all the other desserts sat on the table. Pumpkin pie, who?

When everyone finally got to try them, the flavor was just as popular as the visual. Honestly, you can’t go wrong with apples baked into puff pastry with apricot preserves, dusted with cinnamon and confectioners’ sugar. It was the most popular dessert I’ve ever brought to our Thanksgiving, and was also, without a doubt, the easiest.

Ingredients for Apple Roses

• Apples: Thinly cut the apples into 1/8-inch slices. Use a sharp chef’s knife for precise cuts. You can use a mandoline, but please be extremely careful and practice proper mandoline slicer safety by wearing hand protection.
• Lemon juice: Don’t skip this ingredient! Lemon juice helps prevent the apples from oxidizing and turning brown.
• Puff pastry: While you can certainly make puff pastry from scratch, we recommend buying premade puff pastry from the store for ease.
• Apricot preserves: We use apricot preserves to keep the apples in place as we arrange them on the puff pastry.
• Cinnamon: Apples and cinnamon are a match made in heaven, so we had to include a little cinnamon in this recipe to bump up the flavor.
• Confectioners’ sugar: Just before serving, dust your puff pastry apple roses with confectioners’ sugar to complete the look and add an additional touch of sweetness.

Directions

Step 1: Do some prep work

Thaw one sheet of puff pastry dough; reserving the other sheet for future use.

Preheat your oven to 400°F. Generously grease six standard muffin tins.

Step 2: Microwave the apples

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In a large microwave-safe bowl, combine the apple slices, lemon juice and water. Microwave them until the apples are pliable, two to three minutes. Drain and discard the liquid, then pat the apples dry with a clean towel.

Editor’s Tip: If you don’t have a microwave, soften the apples in a pan over low heat just until they are pliable but not soft.

Step 3: Roll and cut the pastry

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On a lightly floured surface, unfold the thawed puff pastry dough (rolling it out, if you’d like).

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Using a sharp knife, cut the puff pastry into six 1-1/2-inch strips.

Editor’s Tip: Try to make single short cuts in the puff pastry and avoid dragging the knife into one long cut. Dragging tends to seal the intricate puff pastry layers.

Step 4: Add the apricot preserves

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Place the apricot preserves in a small bowl and microwave them for 30 seconds or until they’re just warm. Using a pastry brush or the back of a spoon, brush the preserves on the puff pastry strips.

Step 5: Lay down the apple slices and roll

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Arrange the apple slices on each strip, overlapping each apple, leaving about 1/4-inch of the rounded apple edge sticking out over the puff pastry.

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Sprinkle the apples with cinnamon.

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Starting from one end, roll up the puff pastry strips, keeping the apple slices in place. Press the edges together to seal them.

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Place the apple roses into the prepared muffin tins.

Step 6: Bake the apple roses

Bake the apple roses until the puff pastry is lightly browned and flaky and the apples are tender, 30 to 35 minutes. Cover the roses with foil if they start to brown too quickly.

Once they’re out of the oven, dust the puff pastry apple roses with confectioners’ sugar.

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Apple Roses Variations

• Add more baking spices: Cinnamon is already present in this recipe, but you can add more fall spices like nutmeg, ginger or apple pie spice to enhance the warming flavor.
• Finish with simple syrup: Once the apple roses emerge from the oven, lightly brush simple syrup over the tops to create a lovely glaze and shine.

How to Store Apple Roses

Once the apple roses have cooled to room temperature, stash them in an airtight container. You can keep them at room temperature for up to two days or in the fridge for up to one week. However, keep in mind that they taste best when they’re warm from the oven.

Can you make apple roses ahead of time?

Yes, you can make apple roses ahead of time. Bake them the day before serving, but don’t put the confectioners’ sugar on just yet. Let the apple roses cool to room temperature, then store them in an airtight container on the counter. Refresh them briefly in a 300° oven until they’re warmed through, 5 to 10 minutes. Dust them with the confectioners’ sugar before serving them.

Apple Roses Tips

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What are the best apples to use for apple roses?

The best apples for apple roses are tart, firm apples that will hold up during baking and not turn to mush. We recommend a red or pink-skinned apple, as the color will create the rose petal look. Honeycrisp, Pink Lady, Cameo and Braeburn are your best choices.

What should you do if the apples are cooking faster than the puff pastry?

If you find your apples are starting to burn but the puff pastry is not done baking, tent some aluminum foil over the apples. That should prevent the apples from taking on more color, but the puff pastry will keep baking.

How should I serve apple roses?

Serve apple roses warm from the oven with a dusting of confectioners’ sugar. You could also drizzle salted caramel sauce on top before serving them (after everyone has seen how beautiful these are, since the caramel will cover up the design slightly). Make this a full dessert by serving a warm apple rose with a scoop of the best vanilla ice cream.