A simple, beautiful apple tart made with buttery puff pastry, a thin layer of cinnamon apple butter, and a gorgeous rose of thinly sliced, caramelized apples. It looks fancy, but the technique is surprisingly simple.
Apple Rose Tart
Ingredients
- 1 sheet puff pastry, thawed
- 1 pound (454 g) small apples
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 3 tablespoons brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon, divided
- 2–3 tablespoons apple butter
Instructions
Prepare the Apples
- 1
Preheat the oven to 400°F.
- 2
Thinly slice the apples. The thinner the slices, the easier they will be to bend and shape into a rose.
- 3
Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the sliced apples, brown sugar, and ½ teaspoon cinnamon.
- 4
Cook, gently stirring occasionally, until the apples are softened and flexible, but still hold their shape. Remove from the heat and let cool slightly.
Make the Apple Rose
- 1
To form the rose, arrange a long line of overlapping apple slices, with each slice covering about half of the one before it.
- 2
Starting at one end, carefully roll the apples inward to create the center of the rose.
- 3
Continue adding more overlapping rows of apples around the center, rolling and shaping as you go, until you have a full rose. Set aside.
Prepare the Pastry
- 1
Place the puff pastry on a lightly floured surface. Use an 8-inch cake pan as a guide to measure a perfect circle, then trim away the excess pastry.
- 2
Transfer the pastry to a parchment-lined baking sheet.
- 3
Lightly score a border around the edge of the pastry, leaving about ½ inch for the crust. Be careful not to cut all the way through.
- 4
Dock the center of the pastry with a fork.
- 5
Mix the apple butter with the remaining ½ teaspoon cinnamon. Spread it in a thin, even layer over the center of the puff pastry, staying inside the scored border.
- 6
Gently place the apple rose in the center of the pastry.
Bake
- 1
Bake at 400°F for about 15 minutes.
- 2
Reduce the oven temperature to 375°F and continue baking for another 5–10 minutes, or until the puff pastry is deeply golden and crisp.
- 3
Let cool slightly before slicing and serving.
Lauren's Note
- The apples: The most important thing is slicing the apples very thinly so they become flexible after cooking.
- Don't overcook the apples: You want them soft enough to roll but not falling apart.
- The rose: You can assemble the entire rose directly on top of the pastry if you're short on time. I usually find it easiest to build the rose separately and transfer it to the pastry.
- Apple butter: If your apple butter is thicker, mix equal parts apple butter and applesauce to create a softer, more spreadable layer.
- The puff pastry: Scoring the border gives you a defined crust while docking the center keeps the pastry from puffing too dramatically underneath the apples.
Frequently asked questions
Yes. The rose can be assembled a few hours ahead and refrigerated until you're ready to bake the tart.
Use an apple that holds its shape when cooked but softens enough to bend. Honeycrisp, Gala, Pink Lady, and Fuji are all good options.
