This divine apple rose tart is a labour of love but it's spectacular in its beauty (if I can be so immodest!). Individual apple roses are shaped and cover a delicious pecan frangipane tart. If you want a dessert to impress for Valentine's Day coming up, then this is it!
This tart was inspired by one of my readers who used my method for making individual apple rose tarts but made it into a giant tart. It was so beautiful that I had to make it myself. Sorry I can't remember your name but let me know if you see this and I will credit you!
Now a little warning: this tart takes time. Mostly in time to create each of these apple roses and the pre time is 2 hours. A quarter of the way through I started regretting making this on a Sunday as I thought of a million other things I could be doing instead. However it is so beautiful that it is actually worth making, under the right mental conditions of course.
Pecan Pie Crust: This pecan crust is delicate and it's a challenge. If this is your first time with pastry I would perhaps use a simpler crust (see below) but if you're good with pastry then please give this beautifully short and nutty pastry a go. This pecan pie crust tastes more like a pecan shortbread cookie. Also I know that some people don't like super short pastries - do not make this if you don't like short pastries and use this recipe instead.
What is frangipane filling? Honestly I thought this contained frangipanes when I first heard about it but it doesn't contain the flower. It's a classic French pastry cream usually made with almonds, eggs, butter and sugar. You can make the frangipane a few days ahead of time and store it in the fridge.
Allergic to nuts? If you are allergic to nuts then please use this pastry recipe and custard.
How To Make Apple Flowers: I couple of years ago I made individual apple flower tarts and they were a big hit with readers. I used a similar method for making these apple flowers. One apple makes around 5 apple flowers with some apple slices left over. Try and pick a bright red apple as the contrast between the skin and flesh will look really lovely and just like a two tone rose. I don't know if my eyes were playing tricks on me or if I was staring at things for too long but after a while I thought that these actually really looked like roses!
Sometimes I get so caught up in making things I get in a zone and go on auto pilot. And in this instance I went into auto pilot while making these apple roses. Once you get into the hang of them, they become much easier.
I was sort of in this auto pilot daze afterwards too. Mr NQN has borrowed my driver's license for something and had put it on my desk. I picked it up to put into my wallet where there was my old driver's license. I never got around to shredding it (I hate the photo because I look like Michael Jackson so I definitely don't want to keep it). So I decided now was as good a time as any to cut it up.
I took the scissors to it and cut it into three pieces and then threw it in the bin.
"Oh my god NOOOOOO!!!" I said a second later.
Yep I had in fact cut up the wrong driver's license! I had cut up my current driver's license. I guess I sort of wanted a new photo so maybe this is my chance? I am just trying to look on the bright side...
So tell me Dear Reader, do you have patience for projects like this? Are you making anything this Valentine's Day? And do you like your driver's license photo?
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