Apple Roses

Beautiful and easy to make, apple roses are undoubtedly one of those recipes that become a classic wherever they go: with the step-by-step we detail, you'll see yourself turning to them on any occasion, from the day you feel like turning on the oven to when you want to impress your guests.

We also bring a super quick version , as we suggest using refrigerated shortcrust pastry. That way, it's as easy as preparing the apple so it becomes flexible, placing it, and baking.

Book and Rose Day is approaching, so we hope these edible roses won't be missing from your table either.

Ingredients (for 6-8 roses)

• 2 sheets of shortcrust or pie pastry
• 4-5 red apples, firm ones (type Gala or Pink Lady)
• 1 lemon
• Icing sugar
• Cinnamon and brown sugar (optional)

Preparation

1. Squeeze the lemon and pour the juice into a large bowl with water. Set aside.
2. We need thin apple wedges of 1% of apple. Therefore, cut the apples in half, remove the core and slice very thin slices (we will cut 1 millimeter-thick slices on each side of where the apple's core was). You can help yourself with a mandoline or a thin, sharp knife. Transfer the slices you cut into the bowl with water and lemon (to prevent the apple from oxidizing). We haven't peeled the apple beforehand because keeping the skin makes the red color make the roses prettier, and it also gives them structure.
3. Now we must soften the apple so it's more flexible and won't break when forming the roses. For this, you can put the bowl with the apple in the microwave for about 3 minutes, or put water and apple in a saucepan and place it on the heat. It's advisable to check the apple's condition: remove when you see you can bend the slices without them breaking. The thinner they are, the faster this will happen.
4. Roll out the shortcrust pastry and cut lengthwise strips about 5 cm wide.
5. Drain well the apple you had in water.
6. Prepare the Le Creuset muffin tin, lining it (brush with butter, apply flour and turn the tin to let the excess flour fall out).
7. It's time to assemble the roses: place the apple slices along the pastry, using only half of its width, and overlapping them (as shown in the photo).
8. When you have placed the slices along, fold the half of the pastry over the apple and roll up the strip you have obtained (from one end, start rolling the pastry), thus obtaining the apple rose.
9. Place the rose in the muffin tin, and repeat the process with the rest of the pastry and apple until finished.
10. Bake about 50 minutes in a preheated oven at 180 ºC, until the roses and especially the pastry are baked. Place them in the lower part of the oven so the pastry cooks properly before the apples brown too much.
11. Let the tin cool on a cooling rack.
12. Before serving, dust with icing sugar on top, and a little cinnamon if you're as fond of it as I am.

Notes

• If you want to make homemade shortcrust pastry, you can follow the recipe you'll see here. Work the dough after it has been in the fridge for a while, and you should leave fairly thin sheets to be able to make decent roses (if you don't roll the shortcrust pastry thin enough, the roses will be very thick and unattractive).
• If you like cinnamon and the woody aromas of brown sugar or panela, apply them in advance: sprinkle both cinnamon and brown sugar on top of the roses before putting the tin in the oven.