Last weekend, my husband and I went apple picking, one of our favorite Fall activities. As much as we love picking apples, we go for the apple cider donuts if we’re being honest here. The donuts are absolutely amazing at County Line Orchard in Hobart, Indiana. If you go early enough, you can get them piping hot! They also sell farmhouse style trinkets and things. But back to the apples…

Coming home with many more apples than we usually buy in a given week has me scrambling to make something with them. I’ve made Lenja Pita a few times and the obligatory apple pie, but one of my favorite ways to use them up is by making these beautiful apple roses.

I first made this recipe in the fall of 2015. I’ll spare you the poor picture quality :). We loved them so much, and I love the way they make your house smell wonderful as they’re baking. All it takes is a few ingredients and a cupcake tin. So if you’re apple picking this fall, and even if you’re not, you have to give these a try. They are ideal for when you have guests or family coming, and even as a sweet treat during the week. They hold up incredibly well in a Tupperware container on your kitchen counter for a few days!

Apple Roses / Ružice sa Jabukama

Recipe by The Balkan HostessCourse: DessertCuisine: Balkan, American

Servings

6-8

servings

Prep time

minutes

Cooking time

minutes

A perfect fall recipe with all the smells and tastes of fall. Apples, cinnamon, and vanilla.

Ingredients

2 medium apples
1 package (500 g) puff pastry, thawed
( I use the Pepperidge Farms brand)
1/2 cup (100 g) granulated sugar
1 teaspoon (3 g) cinnamon
1/2 tablespoon vanilla sugar (half of a packet)
3-4 tablespoons (20-30 g) butter, melted
Flour for rolling out dough
Powdered sugar

Directions

Preheat over to 375 F (200 C). Butter the inside of your cupcake pan and set aside. You can also use ramekins in place of a muffin tin if making large roses.
Slice your apple in half and remove the core and seeds. I like to do this using a melon baller. Slice each half into very thin slices (see slideshow above) and place the slices on a plate in a single layer, being careful not to overcrowd them.
Microwave the apples for 15 seconds at a time until they are very flexible and bend easily. Remove from the microwave and allow to cool slightly.
In a bowl, combine the sugar, cinnamon, and vanilla sugar, stirring it well so all the ingredients combine. Set aside.
Lightly flour your work surface and unroll your puff pastry sheets. Slightly roll out the puff pastry sheet with a rolling pin so it’s a little bit thinner, wider, and longer. Don’t make it paper-thin, just go over it once or twice with your rolling pin in each direction.
Cut your dough into strips:
For smaller roses: about 3 inches wide (7.5 cm) and 14 inches long (35.5 cm)
For larger roses: 3.5 inches wide (9 cm) and 14 inches (35.5 cm) long.
Roll each strip out if you need to so they are these measurements.
Brush melted butter onto the bottom half of each strip (long side). Sprinkle the buttered area with cinnamon sugar and fold the dough upwards.
Lay the apples on the top portion of dough making sure some of the apple hangs over the top (these are the petals). See slideshow. Sprinkle the apples with cinnamon sugar and starting from one side, roll the apples and dough together. Pinch the bottom of the dough ball to ensure it’s closed and place in the cupcake tin. Adjust the apple slices by slightly pulling on them to fan them out a bit.
Repeat with the remaining ingredients. I like to mix up my apple roses and make both small and large. How many you get will depend on how big you decide to make them.
Bake at 375 F (200 C) for 40 minutes, checking on them after 30 minutes to determine how cooked they are. The puff pastry should be nice and puffed and the apple slices browned. Don’t cook them less than 35 minutes because the middle has a lot of rolled up dough that needs to cook. In then end, you may need to adjust for your oven.
Serve hot or at room temperature dusted with powdered sugar. Store leftovers in an airtight container.