Apple Roses and Holiday Entertaining Tips

This post is sponsored by BLACK+DECKER®. All opinions are my own. Healthier apple roses made with flaky phyllo dough, cinnamon apples, and a natural salted caramel. These deceptively easy roses are vegan and naturally sweetened. They make a beautiful and tasty holiday dessert or breakfast treat.

The holidays are in full swing and that means relaxed joyful moments with family, and delicious smells and flavors filling the house. If we're being honest though, it also means a bit of chaos. Having the right tools in the kitchen can make a huge difference when it comes to stress-free holiday entertaining. I am all about simplifying, so when BLACK+DECKER® asked me to share some tips for easy entertaining, I was more than happy to help! Their small appliances are simple, reliable, and not overly fussy, which is so helpful as a busy mama. The toaster oven is one appliance I use every day, but during the busy holiday season, I'm even more grateful for it. Not only do I make toast (of course!) in the toaster oven, I often use it to reheat foods and even to bake in. The toaster oven heats up much faster than my large oven, so I can bake an apple crumble or these cute little apple roses in less time. The BLACK+DECKER® Extra Wide Convection Oven is small and sleek enough to be unobtrusive on the counter, but wide enough for a 9x13 casserole or a standard muffin tin! However, BLACK+DECKER® makes a great variety of appliances, so you can choose the ones best for you. I made these phyllo apple roses the night before, stored them in the refrigerator, and reheated the next day in the toaster oven. Easy Entertaining Tips The right equipment. A slow cooker and a toaster oven are my two essentials. The last time we had a big dinner party, I had two lasagnas in the main oven and a pie in the toaster oven. These tools definitely help me survive the holidays. Everything from warm holiday drinks like apple cider, to soups and stews can be made ahead and kept warm in the slow cooker so you can relax with friends instead of stressing in the kitchen. You can find easy to use BLACK+DECKER® appliances on Amazon. Choose make-ahead recipes. The last place you want to be is stuck in the kitchen while your friends are mingling, so go with recipes you can prep ahead. Set the table days in advance. Relax the day of the get-together by taking one less thing off your plate. Check out some of my favorite effortless holiday tablescapes here. Relax and enjoy! Entertaining can be stressful, but remember that real parents rarely have perfectly tidy homes and Pinterest-perfect meals. Real friends won't judge. On to these gorgeous baked apple roses! They are sure to wow your guests.
While baked apple roses aren't my idea, I was so excited to try making a healthier, more natural version. If you know who came up with this fabulous apple rose idea, please let me know. I've swapped out the puff pastry and replaced it with light and flaky phyllo dough. To glue these babies into roses and add flavor I used my super natural, refined sugar free salted caramel made with dates. A pinch of cinnamon inside each rose makes these apple roses taste like apple pie. My kids weren't sure if these roses were cinnamon rolls or apple pies, and I'm perfectly okay with that because the combination is divine. The only refined sugar here is a light dusting of powdered sugar over the top.

These beautiful apple roses are surprising easy to make. 2-inch strips of phyllo dough get a nice coating of salted caramel. Then thinly sliced and softened apples are layered over the top. Fold the lower half of the dough up, roll, and voilà - they're ready for the oven. I know many people are nervous about working with phyllo dough. I know that because I myself feel that way sometimes, but it's really easy. The only trick is to keep any dough you're not working with covered with a damp towel. Once it dries out it becomes very brittle and can't be used.
Aren't these just little stunners? I cannot get over how easy these were to make and how beautiful and tasty they turned out. I love the lighter pastry thanks to the phyllo dough. These lovely baked apple roses are so guilt-free I even had a couple for breakfast. For a holiday dessert, I would serve these with a bowl of vanilla ice cream.


Baked Apple Roses Printer Friendly Recipe
By yummy mummy kitchen
Published 12/06/2011

Apple pastry roses made with phyllo dough and natural salted caramel. Serve alone or with a scoop of vanilla ice cream. Ingredients6 apples (pink lady preferred)2 teaspoons cinnamon2 tablespoons maple syrup 1 roll phyllo dough (thawed according to package directions)1/3 cup melted butter or Earth Balance 1/2 cup date salted caramel powdered sugar for garnish (optional) fresh mint leaves for garnish (optional)InstructionsPreheat oven for 10 minutes to 375 degrees F. Coat a muffin tin with cooking spray. Core and cut apples in half lengthwise. Cut into 1/8" thick slices. Place apples in a large saucepan or skillet and add just enough water to cover. Add 1 teaspoon cinnamon and maple syrup. Bring to a simmer and cook just until apples have softened enough to bend without breaking, about 3 minutes. We will need to roll the apples and don't want them snapping. Drain. Cut phyllo dough crosswise into approximately 2-inch wide strips. Work with one rose at a time while keeping the rest of the dough covered with a damp kitchen towel. Place one strip on your work surface. Brush with a thin coating of melted butter. Lay another strip on top, brush with butter, and continue to layer until you have 5 layers. Spread a thin layer of the date caramel over the top of the phyllo strip. Arrange the apples so that they are slightly overlapping at the top of the phyllo strip. The apple skin should be just above the top of the dough, so that the apples will create rose "petals." Sprinkle with a pinch of cinnamon. Fold the lower half of the dough to meet the top, just over the bottom of the apples. Start at one end of the strip and roll up like a cinnamon roll. Place rose into the prepared muffin tin. Continue until all the dough and apples are used up. Bake for 20 minutes, or until the bottoms of the roses are golden brown and crisp. We don't want mushy roses. Check halfway through baking and place a piece of foil on top if the tops are getting brown. Dust with powdered sugar if desired. Serve warm or room temperature, with ice cream or alone. I like to tuck mint leaves into a petal to look like leaves. Yield: Makes about 12 apple roses
Prep Time: 20 mins. Cook time: 20 mins.
Total time: 40 mins.
Tags: vegan, Thanksgiving, Christmas, holiday, dessert, brunch
This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of BLACK+DECKER® . The opinions and text are all mine.