Apple Roses

Flowers are one of the primary symbols of Beltane as a Sabbat that marks the midpoint of spring. The altar and sacred circle are usually decorated with flowers, so why not decorate your kitchen with them too?

You Will Need:

• 2 packs (ca. 550 g) fresh puff pastry dough (unfrozen and preferably already in the form of thin sheets)
• 6 Idared apples (so tart apples basically)
• 1 lemon
• 4 tbsp sugar
• 1 tbsp cinnamon
• 1 egg
• some flour

How To Prepare:

1. Heat the oven to 200°C.
2. Remove the apple cores (so the stem and the seeds) using a knife, or a special tool called an apple corer.
3. Cut the apples lengthwise (so from the stem downwards) and then cut these halves into thin slices.
4. Boil a pot of water and, once it has come to a boil, squeeze in the lemon and throw in the apples. Cover the pot and let the apples soak for a few minutes.
5. Take out the apples when you notice they have become soft and flexible (they shouldn't be mushy). Leave them out to dry on some paper towels.
6. Flour your working surface and place your puff pastry dough on it (if you didn't buy it in the form of thin sheets, then roll our the dough yourself). Cut the dough crosswise into strips about 4 cm wide.
7. Whisk the egg slightly and, in a separate bowl, mix the cinnamon and sugar.
8. Daub each strip of dough with the egg wash and sprinkle with sugar and cinnamon.
9. Place the apple slices on the strips so that the upper halves of the slices (the ones with the skin still on) stick out from the dough and so that the apple slices slightly overlap.
10. Make the roses in these three simple steps:
1. Fold the lower halves of the dough strips over the apples (about a half of the apple slices should still be sticking out from the dough).
2. Roll the pastry dough into a...well...roll.
3. Pinch the ending of the pastry dough with any other part of the dough to connect them.
11.  Place the roses on a baking pan (which your previously covered with baking paper) or in a muffin tin (which you previously greased up and floured slightly).
12. Sprinkle the roses with cinnamon and sugar.
13. Leave them in the refrigerator to settle about 15 minutes.
14. Bake at 200°C approximately 15-20 minutes.