Rose Apple Pie Recipe
This dessert is a real crowd-pleaser with a delicious bouquet of gorgeous red apple roses, rich creamy custard and crisp pecan pastry. It’s beautiful enough to take centre place on a Christmas dessert buffet … but why wait when you could share it over afternoon tea with old friends. We’ve just returned from a short trip to Melbourne, where we spent several days eating delicious food, swimming in the backyard pool and swapping stories with some of our closest friends. The afternoons drifted by so easily. Nobody dressed to impress, the kids forgot about their iPads and the conversation (and laughs) just flowed. I guess it’s true what they say – the simple things in life are often the best.
One of the challenges I faced with this recipe was how to keep the red colour of the apples because when heated they turned brown. Watch the video above to find out the secret to softening apples, as if they are cooked, without heating them. You’ll be surprised.
To make the red rose apple tart you will need:
Pastry
250g (8.82 ounces) or 1 1/2 cups plus 1 Tbsp plain or all purpose flour
125g (4.41 ounces) or 1/2 cup plus one Tablespoon unsalted butter
100g (3.53 ounces) or 1/2 cup caster sugar
60g (2.12 ounces) or ½ cup pecan nuts processed until fine (optional)
1 egg
Rub butter into flour, add pecans and sugar, add egg. Roll out thinly between two sheets of plastic wrap.
Line the pie dish with the pastry. Bake in the oven until crisp.
Jam Glaze
80g (2.82 ounces) or ¼ cup jam (jelly if you are in the USA)
1 Tablespoon water
Heat in a saucepan, strain through fine sieve, brush onto base using a pastry brush.
Custard
200millilitres (6.76 fluid ounces) or 3/4 cup plus 1 Tbsp milk (4% fat)
60g (2.12 ounces) or 4 egg yolks
37g (1.31 ounces) or 3 Tbsp caster (super fine) sugar
14g (0.49 ounces) or 2 Tbsp cornflour (cornstarch)
100millilitres (3.38 fluid ounces) cream (35% fat)
vanilla to taste
Whisk together the yolks, sugar and cornstarch and a little milk. Heat remaining milk on stovetop and bring to the boil. Add in slurry and boil to thicken. Stir in cream and vanilla.
Red Apple Roses
16 red apples – look for large and red all over
125millilitres (4.23 fluid ounces) or ½ cup fresh orange juice
105g (3.7 ounces) or ½ cup sugar
110g (3.88 ounces) or ½ cup melted butter
Slice apples with mandolin, place in bowl with sugar butter and orange juice mixture. Leave to soak for 10 minutes.
Assemble the rose apple tart as shown in the video.
by Ann Reardon
My Cookbook
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http://bit.ly/ARcookbook
All recipe quantities in the book are in grams, ounces and cups.
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We love your tart! Question: Can we make this 24 hours ahead of time? Do the apples brown? Do we place the tart with apples in the fridge overnight or just the tart and custard? Thank you!
Hi KitchenMAINEyaks, Yes 24 hours for the whole tart will be fine if kept in the fridge.
I’m confused, do you bake this at all or is cooking the custard on the stove top the final step? Do you put the apples and finished assembled pie in the oven at all?
Hi Michelle, you bake the pie shell, cook the custard on the stove and then assemble as described. The finished pie doesn’t need any additional cooking.
This is a beautiful pie! I have two questions though. How long do you bake the pie crust for and at what temperature? And what flavor jam would go best with the overall flavor of the pie?? Thanks!
Hi Clara, Use a moderate oven and it will take around 20 minutes. Really the best jam flavour is one that you like but raspberry always goes well with apples.
Hi, for your recipe, is there a way to put to apples in the oven without burning the red part of it on top? Thank you!
Hi xAnnaT, As this recipe uses Apples that have been soaked they shouldn’t burn unless your oven temperature is too high or it is cooking unevenly. If that is the case you can reduce the risk of burning by putting the pie on the middle oven shelf and on the shelf above place an empty baking tray. This will shield the top of the pie from direct heat.
Thank youso much i just made it today!!! Im having an earlyyy thanksgiving dinner party tomorrow! :)))
How big is the pie dish?
Hi Clara, Ann’s pie dish is about 10inches in diameter.
I did not expect it to turn out so well when I tried it. I was pleasantly surprised!
It looks great. Well done!
Hi, Anne! Thanks for your inspiration! I never thought I’d be able to cook something so delicious and beautiful, but with your talent on teaching, I MADE IT! My family loved it, they thought I had brought the pie from a professional bakery hahahaha
How long did it take to make the apple part? 😀 I mean to roll it into rose 😀
Hi SocoLa2002, Ann took a couple of hours that is why she recommends having a friend help you so you can chat and roll as you go.
What can I use instead of orange juice…can u suggest anything else…like lemons…..
Hi Misha, Lemon juice can be used on it’s own to stop the apples from browning but it does really change the flavour. Ann found that the Orange juice gives the best result keeping the apple flexible and fresh.
Hi! Is it okay to make the pie the night before, leaving it overnight in the fridge and then carry it the whole day around? I’m planning on surprising my friend with that, but on that day I can’t go home before her party, so I’m worrying about the freshness and the condition of the pie.
Thanks for the recipe by the way!
Sorry, I thought that first comment didn’t send …
Hi RZ, Witha pie like this you will want to keep it refrigerated because of the cream etc. You could make it the night before and then pop it in a fridge till serving.
If I make this the night before and pop it in the fridge, do I serve it cold or room temp?
yes, it stays fresh and beautiful (and the apples crisp) even after a full day in the fridge.
What does the pie looked sliced? Would the roses unravel?
Hi Alias, They could but usually you can cut through them or cut the slices to suit.
Hi I’m baking this now but the apples won’t become soggy? Anything I can do
Hi Jess, the apple shouldn’t be soggy, but they should become more flexible enabling them to be rolled. You could try leaving them in the butter mix a little longer but it usually only takes 10 minutes for them to become malleable.
That was super cool and it looks fun to make.
Hi, thanks for this gorgeous looking pie recipe and I want to make this for my mom’s birthday. I thought I needed to practice making the roses, so I did and failed. The mixture did not make the apple slices soft enough, even after 20 min. I suspect it was the fresh squeezed orange juice which was too sweet and not sour enough (not enough acidity?). Could I use bottle orange juice? Do I need to use that much butter and sugar? Could I use more orange juice? Please advise. Thank you very much!
Hi Tammy, I don’t expect changing the juice will help. Fresh juice is definitely best for this. Make sure the mix is warm (but not hot).
Hello….do you actually place the tart in the oven after placing the roses and if so for how much time?
Hi Valeria, you dont need to cook the tart after the roses have been added.
Sorry but can I actually use the crust recipe to make cookies? Just curious :p Also I LOVE THIS RECIPE AS IT TURNS OUT GREAT AND REALLY IMPRESSED BY MY TEACHERS :DDDDD
Hi Adrian, Pastry recipes usually don’t make the best cookies, but you could always experiment.
Question: when you slice the apple and use whole slices what do you do about the seeds and tough apple center? Thanks.
Hi Peggy, Ann doesn’t slice the whole way through the apple. She used 2 sides of the apple and left the centre section. You can save the centre pieces and use them for another apple recipe.
Perfect recipe 🙂
Looks great Ilona.
Hey from England, firstly would just like to say I am a huge fan and have tried many of your recipes already, I was wondering what size dish (diameter) did you use just to check I don’t need to adjust the measurements of the ingredients. Thank you for your time and dedication, enjoy your day.
Hi AM, unfortunately Ann doesn’t have this exact dish anymore as it went missing in transit, however she estimates it was an 11 inch pie dish.
Thank you so much for getting back to me so soon, I really appreciate it I am now ready on make this for mothers day on Sunday. Thank you for the art you create with your food.