Ingredients

• • 1 sheet Borg’s puff pastry, thawed (makes 5 apple roses)
• • 2 red apples
• • Juice of half a lemon
• • 3 tbs strawberry, raspberry or apricot jam
• • 1 tsp cinnamon
• • 2 tsp sugar
• • Icing sugar to serve
• • Whipped cream (optional)
• • A muffin or cupcake tin, lightly greased

Method

A is for Adorable apple roses. Apples are in season right now so let’s make this sweet little treat.

Heat the oven to 220 c / 200 c fan forced.

Half fill a bowl with water and add the lemon juice. Cut the apples in half, remove the core and cut the apples into thin slices. Place the sliced apples in the bowl so that they don’t discolour.

Microwave the apples in the bowl for about 2 minutes, to make them slightly softer and easy to roll (or simmer the apple slices on the stove in a small amount of water until they are just cooked).

Use a sharp knife, cut the dough into 5 x 5cm strips.

Spread a thin layer of jam on each strip of pastry.

Drain the apples and pat dry with paper towel. Place the slices along the top of each strip of pastry, so the apples are slightly overlapping and the apple ‘petals’ are positioned above the top edge of the pastry.

Mix the cinnamon and sugar together and sprinkle over the apples.

Fold up the bottom of the pastry so the apples are partially encased.

Starting at one end carefully roll the pastry to form ‘roses’ and press to seal the end of the pastry with your fingers.

Place each apple rose into the cupcake tin and bake for 25-30 mins until puffed and golden. Cover with foil if the apples are cooking too quickly.

Allow to cool and dust with icing sugar. Serve with whipped cream (optional).