Apple roses - easy and delicious dessert

I don't know if you have seen the little video that this trolling around Facebook at the moment for little Apple Roses.

 I've been seeing it pop up now and then over the last few months. They looked so delicious and easy to make. A couple of weeks ago we had some friends coming to our house for lunch so I decided Ito stop procrastinating and make them! They were a hit with our guests.

I'm not sure how to upload the little how to video - but please go to the link from Just Eating Real Food - Apple Roses - I hope it works for you ok. 

They were fun and easy to make and used very few ingredients. They were a bit fiddly to make so allow 1 hour preparation time. 

And here is the recipe - 

2 red applies - half and core - I used Pink Lady apples - and cut into thin slices. 
Put into a bowl of water with juice of half a lemon. Microwave for 3 minutes. 
Drain water.
Put 3 tablespoons of apricot jam with 2 tablespoons of water into a small bowl, and microwave for 1 minute. (You could try other sorts of jam too)
Thaw 1 or 2 sheets of puff pastry. (1 sheet will make 6 rolls, 2 sheets 12 rolls)
Roll the pastry out thin and cut into 6 strips.
Spread with jam. Place slices of apple on one half of the pastry strips. Sprinkle with cinnamon. 
Fold over the other half of the pastry strip and roll into rose shapes.
Put into muffin tin. (I put squares of baking paper into each muffin hole first).
Bake at 375F or 190C for 40-45 minutes. (I brushed over a little melted butter before cooking)
Sprinkle with icing sugar to serve. Enjoy! 

Do you have the grandies coming over to stay? I am sure they will love helping you make and eat these!   Usually I would do a bit better with my food photography styling, but everyone was waiting to eat!

  Last night I went to the first of four Spanish cooking classes conducted by my Spanish  friend Montse. We made two Tapas -  Potato Tortilla Espanola, Mushrooms with garlic and lemon sauce and finished with Churros. Oh my goodness those Churros are so delicious! and easy to make. Now I just have to find the little machine needed to push the mixture through. 
I'm looking forward to next weeks lesson. 

Have you a little easy recipe you enjoy making or been to cooking classes? Perhaps you would like to tell us about it in the comments. Montse says the most important thing for the Spanish is to enjoy the food with friends.

Thank you so much for stopping by. I value your comments and look forward to hearing from you. I will try to visit your blogs in return. Have a wonderful week.

I am linking up to the link-ups below. Please click on the links to see fabulous contributions from around the world - virtual touring at its best!

Mosaic Monday

Lifestyle Fifty Monday Linkup 
Our World Tuesday
Through My Lens 
Image-in-ing
Wednesday Around the World at Communal Global
Worth Casing Wednesday
What's It Wednesday

Delighting in a bowl of cherries

Welcome July!  We are now past the shortest day of the year which means we are well into winter and spring is on it's way! Though I must not hurry it on as we desperately need the rain, the dams are so low down after several dry winters.

Of late whenever I go to our local fruit and vegetable market I look for interesting delicious fruit and vegetables to buy and bring home to photograph. I don't mind the simple approach to just photographing the fresh fruit in natural light.

It is mid winter here and certainly not the time for cherries - but our local market has been selling cherries imported from America - so of course I had to buy a bag of cherries so that I could photograph them and eat them after! Seen here photographed in natural light on my patio.  The china bowl has come from my mother-in-laws china cabinet.

There was also these Pomegrantes. This is my first try at photographing and eating pomegranates. Seen here photograhed in natural light on my patio and also in the bottom right hand corner under tungsten light on my kitchen bench. Drizzled over icecream and eaten by me afterwards - delicious! I must buy some more!

The cherries were so delicious l I just had to go and buy some more so I could play around taking more images. And of course eat them also! They feel like such a luxury! Photographed here in natural morning light on my kitchen windowsill - I really like the reflection in this one.

For this image I put the cherries on a mirror with a white backdrop-

And I also found these wonderful squat red pears at the market....

It is also the time when we have oranges and lemons ready to be picked in our garden. I always think that fresh tree oranges are so much more sweet and delicious than shop bought ones.....

And what about quinces - such a delicious smell and flavour - I can't describe it. They are a rock hard fruit that you can't eat raw, but when you cook them they turn a delicate pink - the aroma is wonderful. You can also make quince paste to have with biscuits and cheese!

and to finish apple tart..........

I hope you have enjoyed my fruit collages - what is your favourite fruit?

Have a wonderful week.

I am linking up to Mosaic Monday at Little Red House. To see the work of Mary and other wonderful contributors - click here - Mosaic Monday
I look forward to hearing from you and your comments are always welcome. I love making new connections and seeing parts of your worlds too!

An old bucket and a bag of apples

I found this fabulous old bucket in an antique store in Guildford the other day - so just had to use it for a photography prop!

Photographed in morning light - sprayed the apples with some water to give that fresh just picked look - photographed on an old board - slight pp adjustments.

Don't you just love the crunch of fresh picked apples? 

Or perhaps we should bake an apple tart............

Apples are such a versatile fruit - they can be eaten raw or used in sweet or savoury dishes. For this recipe you cook some apple down to pulp, which you lay in the bottom of the pan, and then lay slices of apple on top and sprinkle with slivered almonds.

I photographed these in natural light on my back patio.  The plates and spoons are from my mother-in-law's china cabinet.

Serve with cream or icecream - hot or cold - delicious!

or maybe some apple muffins.........sprinkle the top with sugar and cinnamon....
These are photographed in natural morning light coming in through my kitchen window.

Apple muffin and coffee or tea? Would you like butter with that?