Every now and then I come across a recipe that catches my eye. I love to put my own spin on any new recipe. It just so happens, it’s Steve’s birthday today so I thought I’d surprise him with these Red Apple Roses. 

Prep Time: 30 minutes
Inactive prep time: 1 hour (to defrost pastry)
Cook Time: 35 to 40 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour 10 minutes
Yields: 6 roses
Equipment: muffin tin pan, chef’s knife

Ingredients:
2 Red and Delicious apples sliced as thinly as possible (1/16th of an inch)
1/2 cup of Apricot preserves
1 lemon, juiced
4 cups of water plus 1 tablespoon for the apricot preserves (for red roses, substitute plum jam)
1 sheet of thawed Puff Pastry cut into 6 equal strips
1 tablespoon of ground cinnamon
1 tablespoon of Turbinado sugar
powdered sugar
garnish with sprigs of fresh mint

Directions:
Preheat oven to 375-degrees F.
Prepare the apples.
Start by removing the core and thinly slicing two Red and Delicious apples. In a small bowl filled half-way with water add the juice of one lemon. Place the sliced apples into the lemon water and microwave for 3 to 4 minutes, to soften, allowing the apples to be pliable. Using a mesh strainer, drain off all the water. Return the apples to the bowl and set aside.

Prepare the jam.
In a small microwave-safe bowl, add the apricot preserves and 1 tablespoon of water. Stir together and microwave for 30 seconds. Mix with a spoon so that the preserves have a thick syrup-like consistency. I also have some ground cinnamon for the apples. It adds warm sweetness to the apples.

Prepare the dough.
Flour your cutting board or marble surface with flour. Roll the pastry out until it’s half the thickness (almost double in length), and the creases are smooth. Cut into 6 equal strips crosswise, approximately 2 inches wide.

Assemble the apples.
Lay the pastry strips down and brush the jam over each one. Place the apple slices along the top half of each strip. laid out in an overlapping style. Evenly sprinkle the ground cinnamon over each strip. Fold up the bottom half of the strip, then carefully roll up each one until you have formed a rose.

Brush the apricot preserves over the pastry dough and lay the apple slices where they hang over the edge of the pastry. Sprinkle a pinch of ground cinnamon over each apple. Grab one end of the dough and roll up the pastry very gently.

Place the roses in buttered greased muffin tins and lightly dust each one with a little Turbinado sugar. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes. Brush the tops of the roses with the remaining apricot jam. The apricot jam gives the roses a beautiful shine. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Once the roses have cooled, arrange them on a beautiful dessert plate. Garnish with a sprig of fresh mint and dust with a little powdered sugar. There you have it, my Apple Roses.

Note: If you prefer red roses, substitute a plum jam.

https://lindalouhamel.com/2019/07/10/summer-time-flowers-and-herbs/