Chef's Notes
Roses will store up to 2 days stored at room temperature in an air-tight container and 3 days if refrigerated.
Variations:
Use 2 cups (500 ml) red wine, blackberry juice, or dark fruit juice instead of lemon water if you wish to add a pinkish tint to the petals.
Instead of poaching or microwaving apples, use 1/2 cup (100 g) sugar or brown sugar for macerating (softening) apples.
Glaze with maple syrup instead of apricot glaze.
Experiment with variety of spices that pair well with apples: white pepper, ginger, allspice, cardamom, cayenne, cloves, coriander, fennel seeds, mace, nutmeg, poppy seeds, and sumac.
Add fresh herbs to inside of rose or use as garnish on plate: mint, basil, tarragon, sage, rosemary, and lavender.
Top with toasted and crushed pieces of walnuts, almonds, pistachios, or pecans.
Serve on a plate with some sliced fruit, such as: apricots, bananas, blueberries, cherries, cranberries (dried or fresh), figs, grapes, oranges, pears, plums, quince, or raspberries.
https://www.tweetspeakpoetry.com/2014/08/21/top-ten-rose-poems/
Prepare the apples
Thaw one frozen pastry sheet (makes 6 apple roses) on flour-dusted counter for 20-30 minutes.
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degree C).
Very lightly grease muffin tins, set aside.
Mix water and lemon juice in a large bowl.
Peel and core the apples, cut them in half and then slice each half, starting at a cored end, into 1/8-inch (3 mm) slices.
Place sliced apples immediately into lemon water mixture to prevent oxidizing (browning). Add more water to cover apples if necessary.
Transfer drained apple slices to pot, cover with fresh water, and gently poach for 2 minutes.
Alternatively, microwave drained apple slices for 45 seconds until limp.
Remove excess moisture from slices and set aside.
Step 1: Prepare the apples
- 3 Tbsp (45 g) lemon juice (Half of one large lemon)
- 2 cups (500 g) water
- 2 Fuji, Honey Crisp, Pink Lady, Braeburn, or Gala apples
- Vegetable or coconut oil/ non-stick spray for lightly greasing tins
- 1 sheet of frozen vegan Puff Pastry Dough
- 2 tbsp flour (16 g) for dusting
Step 2: Assemble the apple roses
- 1/2 cup (110 g) apricot preserve jam, maple, or syrup of choice
- 1/2 cup (100g) of granulated sugar
- 2 Tbsp (16 g) cinnamon
- 1 tsp (2 g) nutmeg
- Pinch salt
Drain the apples.
Create a spiced-sugar mixture by thoroughly combining sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, and pinch of salt.
Roll out the dough with a rolling pin until reaches approximately 12×10 inch (30×25 cm).
Spread a thin layer of preserves, jam, or syrup with the back of spoon or pastry brush to cover the entire sheet of dough.
Sprinkle some (about ¼ cup [50 g]) of spiced-sugar mixture evenly over entire sheet.
Cut the dough into 6 strips of similar size, each about 2×10 inch (5×25 cm). Don’t be overly concerned about perfection in measurement or placement of apple slices for this technique. Uneven positioning of the slices makes for natural-looking rose petals.
Overlap 7-12 apple slices on each 2” (5 cm) strip of dough, with the top of the slices extending over the top of each strip. Leave a little dough exposed on one end to connect the base when done.
Dust apple slices with spiced sugar.
Fold up the bottom of the dough to cover half of the apple slices.
Roll up the strip loosely as the puff pastry will expand.
Place roses in lightly greased muffin tin.
Step 3: Bake and serve the apple roses
- 1 1/4 cups (400 g) apricot preserves
- 2 tablespoons of water or your choice of rum, apple brandy, cognac, or bourbon
- Powdered sugar for finish (also called 10x, confectioners’ or icing sugar)
Place roses in 400 degrees F (200 degree C) oven for about 40 minutes until pastry is fully baked. (If necessary, rotate tin. If apples are turning too dark, place aluminum foil on top of tray.)
While roses are baking, make the apricot glaze in saucepan by heating preserves and liquid for 2-3 minutes. Strain and set aside.
After fully baked, let apple roses cool down in the tin for 5-10 minutes.
Remove roses and lightly brush the top of each with apricot glaze to add shine and color.
Serve on a tray or individual plates with a dusting of powdered sugar.
Add vegan ice cream, vegan caramel, and fresh fruit for dessert plate.