Flambéed Puff Pastry Apple Roses with Calvados & Normandy-Style Apple Granita

Customizable recipe with aromatic natural sugars

Ingredients

• 2 red apples (Pink Lady, Elstar, or other firm variety), unpeeled

• 1 sheet of rectangular puff pastry

• 50 g natural sugar (muscovado, rapadura, or coconut sugar) for homemade caramel

• 20 g salted butter

• 50 ml heavy cream

• 250 ml water

• 1 tablespoon lemon juice

• 2 tablespoons natural sugar (for the syrup)

• 3 cl Calvados

• Butter for the muffin tin

• Icing sugar or 1 tablespoon natural sugar for garnish

• Ground vanilla or cinnamon (optional)

Preparation

Make the Syrup

In a saucepan, heat 250 ml of water with 1 tablespoon of lemon juice and 2 tablespoons of your chosen natural sugar (muscovado, rapadura, or coconut sugar).
Optional: Add a split vanilla bean or a pinch of cinnamon for added flavor.
Let it infuse for a few minutes, then poach the unpeeled apple slices in the syrup for 2–3 minutes until softened but still firm. Drain and set aside.

Flambé the Apples

Place the poached apple slices on a buttered baking tray.
Warm the 3 cl of Calvados, carefully flambé it, then gently pour it over the apples. Set aside.

Prepare the Salted Butter Caramel

In a saucepan over medium heat, dry-melt 50 g of natural sugar (do not stir) until it becomes an amber caramel.
Remove from heat, add 20 g of diced salted butter, and stir vigorously.
Then add 50 ml of hot heavy cream and mix until the sauce is smooth. Keep warm.

Prepare the Pastry

Unroll the puff pastry and cut it into 6 strips, each 4–5 cm wide.
Brush each strip with about 2 tablespoons of the prepared salted caramel sauce.

Assemble the Roses

Arrange the flambéed apple slices (skin side out) along the top half of each pastry strip, overlapping them slightly.
Fold the bottom half of the pastry over the apples and roll up to form a rose shape.
Brush the top of each rose lightly with beaten egg yolk for a glossy finish.
Place each rose into a buttered muffin tin.

Baking

Bake at 180°C (350°F) for 30 to 35 minutes, or until the pastry is golden and cooked through.

Finishing Touch

Let cool slightly, then dust with icing sugar or sift 1 tablespoon of natural sugar mixed with vanilla or cinnamon over the top.
Serve warm with a scoop of vanilla ice cream or a drizzle of caramel sauce for a more indulgent dessert.

Caramelize the Apple Tops

Use a kitchen blowtorch to briefly flame the tops of the apples, caramelizing the surface for a glossy, crisp finish.

To Serve

Serve the apple roses with a Normandy-style apple granita for a fresh and elegant contrast.

Normandy-Style Apple Granita Recipe

Ingredients

• 500 ml apple juice (preferably artisanal or organic)

• 1 tablespoon natural sugar (muscovado, rapadura, or coconut sugar) — adjust to taste

• 2 cl Calvados or Manzana (green apple liqueur)

• Juice of half a lemon

Preparation

In a bowl, mix the apple juice with the sugar and lemon juice until the sugar is fully dissolved.
Add 2 cl of Calvados or Manzana, according to your taste.
Pour the mixture into a shallow dish and place in the freezer.

Every 30 minutes, scrape the mixture with a fork to form ice crystals.
Repeat 3 to 4 times until the texture becomes light and granular.

Serve very cold, in small portions, alongside your puff pastry apple roses.