I'm so excited for another holiday! While a lot of us wont be celebrating Halloween the way we usually do that doesn't mean we cant celebrate. Along with Zoom pumpkin carving parties and watching scary movies we can celebrate the thinning of the veil with Samhain (pronounced Sah-wen;) also called All Hallows Eve and as mentioned before Halloween is celebrated on the same day and, following on November 1st is All hallows day/ All Saints day. Farther down I'll explain a little bit more about Samhain but first on to the recipe!
These apple roses can be used as a dessert or garnish. Are super simple and super versatile (which is a theme in my kitchen if you haven't noticed.)
I got a little lazy with this one and used pre-made pastry dough even though I've been telling myself I want to try making my own for a while now. I'll get to it and show you along the way when I do! But if you have your own recipe feel free to substitute that for the dough i used.
APPLE ROSES
Ingredients:
(These will yield about 4 roses so definitely double or triple if you're feeding many or serving it as a main dessert.)
1 tube croissant (or comparable puff pastry)
1 lrg/ 2 small apples (I used 2 Macintosh for reference, I think something sturdier like Delicious or Granny Smith would handle this recipe better)
water for boiling
~ 1tbsp fruity preserve of your choice (I went with a delicious cherry and coffee jam from a local company)
- other ingredients may include cheese and herbs and spices
Directions:
Cut your apple into quarters around the core. Slice into very thin slices ensuring you have a round side on the long side of your slice. (see picture for what i mean)
Bring a small pot of water to a boil then turn to medium heat keeping it at a simmer. Boil your apple slices just until pliable, working in small batches. I'm hesitant to give a time because it will depend on your apple as well as the thickness of your slices but they could be ready as early as 1 minute so don't walk away! You want soft not mushy.
Remove the slices (I used what I call a pierogi spoon but it's a flat slotted spoon, you can also use a colander or sieve) to a baking sheet to cool. They should cool pretty quickly being on a metal surface.
Preheat your oven according to the instructions on your pastry dough (Mine was to 375 and suggests 10-12 minutes.)
Roll out your pastry dough. Depending on what you can your measurements will be different. I flattened my dough a little more and got strips about 1.5 inches wide and 10 inches long. The width is more important than the length. 
Place a very small amount of your jam in the center of the strip. We want to be stingy because we don't want the jam squirting out of the rose and destroying the aesthetic. Line your apple slices along one edge, curved edge sticking off the side and overlapping slightly. Fold your dough in half encasing the slices but leaving that rounded edge out. Pinch off the edges and roll creating your rose shape with ease.
**pro tip** to fancy these up or make them less dessert, add thinly sliced cheese and/or savory herbs to the inside of your rolls. Along this line your preserve could be a pesto rather than a jam!
Place in a lightly greased oven tin to keep its shape. Once all have been rolled place in your oven for the time allotted by your tube or recipe. check them. if they aren't quite golden brown a little extra time may be needed.
Et voila!
If serving as a dessert I suggest serving with a compote, swish of jam and/or ice cream.
The reason it is viewed as the end of the year is that it symbolizes the last harvest (because I used to really BE the last harvest.) It is the first holiday of the dark half of the year and is one of two holidays where we see the thinning of the veil; the other being Beltane. While just like Beltane the veil thins between all realms we generally focus on the spirits and out ancestors at Samhain but that doesn't mean the Fae aren't very close to us too. Other than the thinning of the veil we focus on the following: bereavement and veneration of those passed, survival and preparation for the winter and darkness, love, release and renewal.
As always seasonal food is important but to zone in a little further Samhain usually revolves around apples, pickles and other preserves, squash, hazelnuts, corn, cider, herbal tea and meats. I want to point out 2 things specifically as they relate to the preparation for winter and that is the meats and pickles and preserves as they really send home the idea of getting rid of perishables and saving them any way we can before the winter hits.
I have a few things that I will be doing to celebrate but i want to share with you one of them: the dumb supper. Traditionally this meal is served backwards and in complete silence (hence "dumb.") You place a plate at the table for your ancestors or other spirits that may pass through. I am making one change that during my supper I won't be quiet but will be reminiscing about memories of the past as well as doing a "catch up" conversation. You know how around the holidays you get together with your extended family and you tell them what been going on throughout the year since you last saw them at Easter? Same deal with those that have passed. Not is the easiest time to visit and they want to know what you've been up to!
Anyway, the only real correspondence to look at here is Apples. And then what ever jam or other fun stuff you add to your roses but that's for you to research (and tell me abut!) Like I said with the cider recipe, apples are probably one of the most mentioned fruit in mythology but I want to keep it short and sweet for you!
Apples: love, fidelity, fertility, marriage, beauty, vanity, wisdom, the soul, the afterlife and immortality
Quite a fitting correspondence methinks.
Let me know what you come up with and tell me if you have yourself a dumb supper; I'd love to hear about it!
Short and Gritty
Ingredients:
1 tube croissant (or comparable puff pastry)
1 lrg/ 2 small apples (I used 2 Macintosh for reference, i think something sturdier like Delicious or Granny Smith would handle this recipe better)
water for boiling
~ 1tbsp fruity preserve of your choice (I went with a delicious cherry and coffee jam from a local company)
- other ingredients may include cheese and herbs and spices
Directions:
1. Quarter apple around core and slice very thin ensuring a long curved edge
2. Boil slices just until pliable, over cooking = mush
3. Cool on baking sheet
4. Preheat to pastry guidelines on tube or in recipe
5. Roll out pastry, cut into strips
6. Put a small line of preserve along the middle of strip,
7. Lay slices along top edge slightly overlapping with curved edge hanging off
8. Fold pastry, pinch edges and roll into roe
9. Place in lightly greased muffin tin and bake according to pasty instructions. check and let cook a little longer if not golden
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