There's An Easy Way To Create Adorable Mini Pies That Look Like Apple Roses

We may receive a commission on purchases made from links.

While some take pumpkin spice as the trend of the season, other autumnal flavors can also find their place at the center of your feasting. Truly, a fall table can look however you wish as long as there's good food upon it and good friends gathered around it. Though they look especially fancy, apple roses are surprisingly simple to prepare, with a number of helpful store-bought accommodations that can make the process even easier. Tasting Table recipe developer Autumn LeAnn created a baked cinnamon apple roses recipe that employs the clever use of a muffin tin to make adorable mini pies that are bursting with fall flavor.

Start with a scratch-made dough or opt for a streamlined take using your favorite store-bought puff pastry. Take a batch of sturdy and firm apples, remove the core using a SCHVUBENR Premium Apple Corer Tool or your preferred method, and be sure to leave the outer peel intact to create the rose-like look. Chop the apples into thin half-moon slices and soak the slices in hot water with lemon juice and sugar to soften them until they become pliable like petals of a flower.

Pat the slices dry and assemble them on a strip of homemade dough, puff pastry, or even an unrolled store-bought cinnamon roll. From there, it's a matter of tightly rolling the dough to create the mini apple roses and baking them in the oven. This will quickly become one of the best apple dessert recipes to sweeten up your fall.

Whether you're preparing to celebrate the season or want a dessert that will look like you put in much more effort than you really did, the true beauty of this recipe is its simplicity. Requiring only minimal ingredients and a relatively straightforward process of assembly, you can easily customize your baked mini apple rose pies in a variety of different ways to suit your tastes and aesthetic. For example, a tart bunch of Granny Smith apples will be perfectly matched when tucked into a strip of puff pastry or scratch-made dough that's been generously spread with a mixture of cinnamon, sugar, and butter. Try a darker colored apple, such as Envy or similar, for a more gothic-inspired rose.

If using store-bought cinnamon rolls, try a pumpkin spice-flavored batch to mix two fall favorites in one. You can also get creative with glazes, drizzles, or other additions on top of the finished dessert. Try a swirl of cream cheese icing, a sprinkle of chopped candied nuts, or even a dash of freshly grated nutmeg for extra warmth. Using a muffin tray to bake these delights will make them easier to portion out and serve.

If you want to try a pie à la mode-inspiration, serve these mini apple roses warm with a scoop of vanilla ice cream. They would also go well with a dollop of crème fraîche or whipped topping. The sky's the limit for this appealing autumnal dish!