Honey and Apple Cakes – a Light and Festive Snack
There are never too many appetizer options, especially when it comes to holidays like Rosh Hashanah. Honey apple puff pastries are perfect for party appetizers thanks to their simple ingredient list, ease of preparation and impressive aesthetics, and taste like a sweet warm apple hug.
To make your own batch of this cozy fall hug, you’ll need a pack of defrosted, store-bought buttered puff pastry. (If you like a challenge, you can make puffed honey apples with your own classic puff pastry or coarse puff pastry.) These two points are worth considering: Buy all-butter puff pastry and thaw it ahead of time. If you see a box that doesn’t say “all oil”, it’s probably made from fat instead of butter. Shortening has no taste, and sometimes even a little factory taste. Puff pastry is made up of only fat and flour, and since all of its flavor comes from fat, you want to make sure it tastes the best, so check the ingredient list.
Most puff pastry comes in frozen buns (it transports better, keeps longer, and doesn’t risk damage), but you can’t do anything with it when it’s hard, and there’s no quick way to thaw it without melting the fat. Follow the defrosting instructions on the box, which usually involve leaving it on the counter for a couple of hours under close supervision. Check this periodically because you never want puff pastry to be warm; it should always be cool to the touch. Another, less risky option is to leave it to thaw overnight in the refrigerator. I prefer this because I know it will thaw slowly and reliably there, and it only takes a little forethought.
The day you’re ready to make apple cakes, start by preparing the apples. Use relatively small apples. You are going to cut them crosswise, so the diameter of the thickest apple slice should not be larger than the diameter of the circular knife you will be using for the puff pastry. Peel the apples and cut into 1/4 inch thick slices horizontally across the width of the apple. When you get to the center, you will see a star pattern of an apple blossom on the core. I like the way it looks. It is edible and its texture is slightly firmer than the rest of the apple. If this does not suit you for any reason, you can remove the center. Scrape out any seeds that might get into the cut.
Fry the apples in a small amount of oil for about two minutes on each side over medium heat. This ensures that the apple slices are cooked through and helps them retain moisture so they don’t dry out and turn into fruit skins in the oven. Remove the apples from the heat, sprinkle them with a pinch of cinnamon and let cool for a few minutes. Meanwhile, roll out the defrosted but still cold puff pastry on a lightly floured surface. Cut out 2-inch circles with cookie cutters or cookie cutters. (If you don’t have cookie cutters, use a knife and cut out squares.) Place the puff pastry circles on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Puffs will… suffocate, so it’s best to leave about an inch between neighbors. From one sheet of Trader Joe’s puff pastry , I got exactly 12 circles. (Freeze the scraps or bake them for fun croutons.)
From here, everything speeds up. Place an apple circle on top of each circle of dough, press it lightly to make sure it doesn’t slip in the oven (this dough will expand a lot, don’t check it), and sprinkle each circle with a generous pinch of sugar. about ¼ teaspoon. Bake in preheated 400°F oven for about 15 minutes. The puffs are ready to bake when they have puffed up around the edges, the top is golden brown, and the bottom edge is dark brown but not burnt. Undercooked puff pastry is fine, but perfectly cooked puff pastry is luxurious . If in doubt, leave for another minute.
Once the apple puffs are out of the oven, let them cool for a minute or two so you can handle them. Divide the puffs on plates and give each one a long drop of honey. If the puffs are still warm, the honey will pool in the slightly concave center of each apple, creating a nice and delicious sticky center. Each bite is a feast of textures – a crunchy, soft and syrupy dessert. But where the textures are bold, the flavors are delicate with oil-infused floral honey and warming cinnamon apple that linger on your palate. These honey apple puffs are best eaten within a few hours of baking.
Honey apple puffs
Ingredients:
- 2-3 small apples, peeled and cut into 12 ¼-inch slices
- 1 tablespoon butter
- ¼ teaspoon cinnamon
- 1 sheet store-bought puff pastry
- 3-4 tablespoons of honey
- Sugar for sprinkling
Preheat oven to 400°F. Baking line with parchment paper.
Fry the apple slices in a skillet with oil for about two minutes on each side over medium heat. The apples will soften slightly, but should not fall apart or become too bright in color. Remove apples from heat and sprinkle with cinnamon. Set aside to cool.
Cut defrosted puff pastry into 12 2-inch-wide circles; they should be slightly larger than apple slices. (Cut into squares if you don’t have a suitable circle cutter.) Cover each circle with an apple slice and gently press the apples down. Sprinkle each circle with ¼ teaspoon (or a large pinch) of sugar.
Bake at 400°F for 12-15 minutes until browned and browned and the bottom is well browned. Place immediately on a plate and sprinkle a drop of honey on top and, if desired, sprinkle more cinnamon.