Apple Rose – Bánh Táo Hoa Hồng – Mama Snow Cooks and More

My friend ThiThi’s recipe for apple roses: Video Tutorial in Vietnamese and Japanese. She taught me how to make these apple roses. I tested her instructions in my U.S. kitchen and made some slight changes after three tries. I like to add as many rose petals as I can and so cutting the apple can be a little tricky to achieve that goal. Here is my pictorial recipe with tips and tricks. (2016)

Ingredients

Note:
I took pictures everytime I make apple roses and updated new pictures and instruction to improve the prepping part. You get the benefit of learning my mistakes I made.

Direction:

1. Choosing apples and tool: Not all apples are suitable for baking. Avoid using red delicious, granny smith, and fuji for this recipe. I recommend Rome, Pink Pady, Gala, and Jazz apples. Miki’s video suggested using an apple corer. My first attempt, I used that apple slicer. My second attempt, I used that fancy corer. By the third attempt, I finally made it to perfection with more rose petals by just using my knife. So forget those fancy apple corer and slicer. You don’t need it! =)

2. In a bowl large enough to fit 3 apples after you cut them, add in the juice of one lime and fill the bowl halfway with water or more to cover up the sliced apples later.

3. Slicing the apples: To make a dozen apple roses, you just really need three apples, but if it’s your first attempt to make it, I would suggest using four apples in case you messed up with cutting the slices out thin enough.

Cut the slices in halves like shown.

With the center part of the apple, cut the sides off, discarding the core. Slice the two pieces thinly.

4. Put the apple slices into the owl bowl of lime juice mixed with water. Sprinkle in cinnamon.

5. Drizzle in honey. Make circular motions with yoru hands while squeezing the honey in. Count to ten seconds until you stop. This is a great teaching moment with my toddler as I have her count with me.

6. Mix everything up being careful not to break the apple slices.

7. Cover the bowl with saran wrap and microwave for 2 to 4 minutes until the apples soften up. I think it varies on the types of apples you are using. I have made this a total of five times and used four different types of apples. The goal is to heat up the apples so it would be soft and flexible enough to bend as you roll up along with the pastry to from a rosy look. If the apple slices are still firm, the apples will break apart and falls out of the pastry. The thinner you slice the apples, the better and easier in this process. The thinner the apple slices are, the more petals you can add in. I was able to add in as much as ten petals per apple rose.

When apple slices are soft, drain the liquid and set it aside.

8. Open up the Pepper Ridge Farm puff pastry sheets. Cut along the folded line, then cut each thirds into halves. Each of these boxes have two sheets; therefore, you should have a total of 12 strips of puff pastry if you cut this right. (Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit at this time.)

9. Roll out the puff pastry strips one at a time, but not all at once. Do not let the puff pastry dough sit out too long. The pastry should always feel cool to the touch. If it’s too warm in room temperature, you’ll have on sticky and messy, and maybe impossible time rolling the pastry up to form the apple roses. I was slow at first, so I kept the second sheet in the freezer and literally run back and forth to take the pastry strips out. Remember to roll the strips up and down with the rolling pin like shown in the picture until the strip stretches out to maybe 2 inches long.

10. Place four apple petals on the top half part of each puff pastry strip. On the bottom half, spread the fruit preserve on a sprinkle in some cinnamon.

11. Fold the bottom of the pastry strip over to cover the apple petals like shown. Add in 3 or more slices of apples before rolling it up.

12. Place the rolled apple roses into a muffin pan. Do not spray anything and do not put the cupcake liners in. You can use the cupcake liner after you bake it. Using the liner will not make the apple roses crisp all around. Bake the apple roses at 350 F for 30 minutes. Timing will vary depending what kind of oven you are using.