Fall is my absolute favorite, favorite time of year! The smells, the colors, the clothes, the food and oh those leaves! Those gorgeous falling leaves! I get so excited from about October 1st until January each year. The holidays and the weather always get me all cozied up and in a great mood for seemingly no reason everyday!
And every year in about August I start pinning and mentally planning all the gorgeous recipes and tablescapes that I will try out that season. And each year without fail I get through, um maybe, one or two of those before the season comes and goes! I get so caught up enjoying everything around me that I forget I make my own pumpkin pecan bread or gingerbread house.
This year fret not though! At least I planned ahead enough to take a gander at this gorgeous apple pie! I spied some delectable apple rose tarts peeping into my Pinterest feed and I knew that this is the year that I must try it out myself! After reading and researching lots of blogs and techniques on how to make the perfect apple rose I decided on this simple take. Easy enough to get some little hands to help out this season or if you’re me a nice little task while catching up on the latest Real Housewives. Yes, you heard that right, I am total fan. Guilty pleasure right here. I can’t get enough of those shows!
I love how this take on an apple pie made it a tad more interesting and beautiful enough to get some Instagram love on the dessert table if I do say so myself! Whatever you are planning this year I say go for it! This is the year to try out that dessert or bread or tablescape you’ve always said you try! ‘Tis the season after all!
Apple Rose Tart with Vanilla Custard
The Tart Shell:
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup granulated sugar
4 tablespoons butter
- Preheat oven to 400°F.
- In a food processor, blend together flour, sugar, and butter until it becomes soft crumbs.
- Gently press into tart or biscuit molds that have been pre-greased.
- Bake for 20 minutes or until crusts are golden brown. Let cool.
The Custard:
Recipe adapted from Hip Foodie Mom
1½ cups milk
6 egg yolks
½ cup pure maple syrup
¼ cup cornstarch
½ teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Whisk the egg yolks with the maple syrup, cornstarch, and salt until smooth.
- Pour the milk into a small pot and place over medium heat until it just starts to bubble. Remove from heat.
- Slowly pour the egg mixture, while whisking, into the milk pot.
- Place the mixture over low heat. Cook, stirring constantly, until the mixture comes to a bubble and becomes very thick like a pudding.
- Stir in the vanilla and transfer to a heat safe container. Lay plastic wrap over the surface. Chill for 2 hours.
The Apple Roses:
2-3 large apples of your choice (I used Granny Smith but any will work)
1 ounce lemon juice
2 cups warm water
- Pour custard into tart shell.
- Slice the apples as thin as you can get. A mandolin works best for this. Then cut slices in half horizontally.
- Soak the apple slice in warm water with a squeeze of lemon. This will keep the apples from turning brown and soften them a little.
- Gently roll one slice at a time. Then begin adding additional slice around the first.
- Place rolled up apple rose in tart pan filled with custard.
- Fill out the rose with additional apple slices around the edges.
- Keep going until the tart shell is filled with apple roses!
You can make the custard and tart shell up to two days ahead of time and keep in the fridge. The apples will keep for about a day before turning slightly brown. In a pinch, if the apples turn brown, dust them with a little sugar and bake for 15 minutes for a light sugary crust!
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