Apple Flowers Recipes

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400° and line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silpat.
• FILLING: mix all filling ingredients together in a small bowl. Set aside.
• CARAMEL: Heat caramel ingredients over medium heat; Bring to boil, stirring constantly; Let boil for about 2 minutes. Remove from heat and cool to room temperature, stirring occasionally.
• DOUGH: Mix the flour and oil together in a bowl, and mix in just sufficient cold water to make a firm (but not sticky) dough. Divide dough into 8 equal pieces. Then roll out each into a 5-6" disc.
• ASSEMBLY: Place 1/8th of apple filling onto center of each dough round. Fold up edges of dough up towards the center, making a cup around the filling (you could use a jumbo muffin tin for this too). Brush with eggwash.
• To each blossom, sprinkle 1 tsp of rolled oats followed by a drizzle of caramel topping into tops of apple filling. Follow with a light sprinkle all over with sugar in the raw.
• Bake at 400F for 25-30 minutes or until heated through. Cool on wire rack.

Steps:

• Make the crust: Combine the flour, confectioners' sugar and salt in the bowl of a food processor fitted with the steel blade. Pulse a few times to combine. Scatter the butter pieces on top, and pulse until the butter is the size of small peas. Add the egg yolk and vanilla extract, and pulse until incorporated. Pulse in the water, about 2 teaspoons at a time, until the dough starts to hold together. It will appear to be a bit crumbly, but should hold together easily when pressed.
• Lightly butter a 9-inch tart pan with a removable bottom, and pour the dough mixture into it. Press the mixture evenly on the bottom and up the sides of the pan. (Use a lightly floured straight-sided measuring cup to help press the dough into the corners of the pan.) Reserve extra dough to repair any cracks after the shell is baked.
• Freeze the formed dough in the pan until completely firm, about 30 minutes. Meanwhile, heat oven to 375 degrees.
• Line the tart shell with a piece of aluminum foil, making sure to tuck it into the corners and over the edges. Bake the shell for 20 to 25 minutes or until the dough appears dry and lightly golden. If the dough puffs up while baking, gently press it back into the pan with an offset spatula or similar tool. If necessary, repair any cracks with the remaining raw dough. Cool slightly while you prepare the apples.
• Cut the apples from their cores in 3 pieces: Stand the apples up, with the stems facing up, and, using a sharp knife, cut 1 face of the apple, then rotate the apple about 120 degrees, slice again, and finally slice the last piece from the core. You should have a triangle-shaped piece of core left and 3 pieces of apple with flat bottoms.
• Reserve a smaller piece of apple, and carefully slice all the other apples into very thin half-moons, about 1/8-inch thick. (A mandoline makes this move quickly, but, if you are using a knife and working slowly, it's a good idea to squeeze a little bit of lemon juice over the sliced apples to prevent browning.) Make sure to keep the slices together as you cut to make the assembly easier.
• Once the apples are sliced, build the tart: Sprinkle 1 tablespoon flour and 1 tablespoon sugar on the bottom of the blind-baked tart shell. Starting at the outer edge, arrange the apples in tight concentric circles, overlapping each slice about halfway over its neighbor. Take care to stand the apples up vertically, with the cut edges down and the peel edge pointing up. Pack the rows very tightly, stopping periodically to check your work.
• As you move toward the center, the apples will become trickier to bend into place. If you find the slices are breaking, slice the reserved piece of apple even thinner to make it easier to bend. Roll the last few slices into a circle and tuck it in the center.
• Sprinkle the remaining 3 tablespoons sugar and a pinch of salt over the apple slices. Take care to sprinkle the sugar between the apple slices, rather than on top. Scatter the butter pieces on top, and bake the tart for 40 to 45 minutes or until the apples begin to brown just slightly on the edges and the crust is a deep golden brown. Check the tart periodically to make sure the shell is not over-browning at the edges. If it is, cover the edges with foil.
• Cool the tart on a rack for about 10 minutes, then prepare the glaze: In a small saucepan, warm the jam and a few drops of water over medium-low heat until it is runny. Use a pastry brush to very gently brush the warm tart with jam. Avoid brushing jam on the crust, but a thin layer all over the apple slices. Serve warm or room temperature.

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350F.
• Slice off top 1/4 to 1/3rd of the apple.
• With small sharp knife or melon baller, carve out the apple leaving about a 1/4 inch or more shell. Be sure it is still strong enough to stand.
• Dice the apple top and insides (of course you remove the seeds and stem).
• Mix the diced apple, sugar, flour and cinnamon in a bowl.
• Roll out your dough to about 1/4 inch.
• Use a flower or round cookie cutter and cut a top for each apple. Use a straw to make 3 or 5 holes in the center (so it looks like a flower).
• Fill apple with mix and top with flower.
• There will be extra mix - if you are doing a bunch you can make a little pie or place in a ramekins and top with the flowers.
• Brush tops with water, milk or butter and sprinkle with cinnamon sugar.
• Place on a sheet and bake in oven for about 40 minutes. Top should be golden and apple soft.

Steps:

• Heat oven to 400°F. Grease or spray 9 regular-size muffin cups.
• Wash and core apples. Thinly slice each one, leaving the peel on.
• In 2-quart saucepan, heat 4 cups water, 4 tablespoons sugar and the lemon juice to boiling. Add the apple slices; boil about 3 minutes or until apples are soft. You want to be easily able to bend them without breaking.
• Drain apples, and place on paper towels to dry and cool completely.
• Sprinkle flour on work surface, and roll out dough sheet. Sprinkle 5 tablespoons sugar and the cinnamon on surface of dough. Using pastry cutter (or pizza cutter), cut dough into 9 (1-inch) strips.
• Arrange cooled apple slices end to end down each strip. Carefully roll up each strip, and place in muffin cup.
• Bake 20 to 25 minutes or until nicely golden. Remove from pan, and cool on cooling rack. Serve and enjoy!