TOTAL TIME: 75 mins

MAKES: 8-10 roses.

INGREDIENTS

2 large red delicious apples, cored and very thinly sliced
1 cup softened mascarpone cheese
3 tbsp. of apple butter or pumpkin butter or apricot preserve
¼ tsp. vanilla essence
¼ cup white sugar
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
2 blocks of frozen puff pastry, thawed
1 egg
2 tsp. water
½ a lemon
¼ cup melted butter, for the trays
1 tsp. confectioners' sugar for dusting

METHOD

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (200 degrees C). Butter 8-10 cups in a large muffin tray and dust with white sugar.
Place cut apple slices on a plate, overlapping slightly if necessary. Squeeze lemon juice all over and microwave on high for about 45 seconds just until slices have softened a bit. Cover plate with plastic wrap and a kitchen towel.
Mix together sugar and cinnamon in a bowl.
In a separate bowl, mix the mascarpone cheese, apple butter, and vanilla essence together.
Roll out the puff pastry sheet to less than 1/8-inch thickness. Using a pizza cutter cut approx. 2.5 in. X 12 in. rectangles so about 4-5 strips from each pastry sheet.
Spread the cheese mixture over the dough; top with some cinnamon-sugar. Place apple slices along 1 long edge of dough, about ½ an inch beyond the edge of the dough, overlapping slices slightly. Fold bottom half of dough over the apple slices to form a long "folder" of dough with rounded edges of apple slices exposed.
Beat egg and water together in a bowl. Paint surface of dough with egg wash. Sprinkle with more cinnamon-sugar, to taste.
Starting from one end, roll dough not too tightly to form a rose-shaped pastry. Seal roll with the end of the dough strip.
Transfer roses to prepared muffin trays. Place your tray directly on the middle rack of the preheated oven.
Bake until well browned, for approximately 45 mins. Remove the tray and let it cool for 5 to 10 mins.
Remove apple roses from muffin trays and finish cooling on the rack. Dust with confectioners' sugar before serving.

HOLISTIC HIGHLIGHTS

During the festive season, when we are indulging in all sorts of foods, it helps to go light with this easy to make (don’t need to be a pastry chef) fruit dessert. It’s great fun to get your kids involved too, by getting them to line up the apple slices, sprinkle cinnamon sugar and then watch their eyes light up as you magically roll it into a rose. It definitely adds an element of wonder at the feast!

As for the wonders of apples, did you know that the apple tree is a deciduous tree in the rose family best known for its sweet, pomaceous fruit? How fitting! Apples are loaded with a soluble fiber called pectin, which helps lower cholesterol, keeps blood sugar stable, keeps our bowels regular and also helps with weight management. It also contains the phytonutrient called Quercetin that helps reduce cellular death of neurons caused by oxidation and inflammation, and therefore, can potentially prevent Alzheimer’s. It also improves heart health and endurance, making it the perfect snack to grab before a workout.

Baked Apple Roses