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Iโm not going to lie to you and tell you this is one of those easy recipes that you can throw together on a whimโฆbecause itโs not.
Itโs one of those things you make when maybe youโre feeling angsty and need to get lost in the process for awhile. You need to be a patient person. Maybe someone who likes to listen to music and think about their life…
If you are, then this is for you.
It also helps tremendously if you make the pistachio butter and pie crust the night before. And Iโll even go far as to say that you can use store-bought pie crust, too because this is a good amount of work.
Some people on the Instagram said they tried to make roses out of apples already and their apple slices kinda snapped and wouldnโt roll correctly.
Here are some tricks I found:
1. First step – Use nice crisp apples. I used a combo of Granny Smith and these fancy Pink Pearls Josh found at the market.
2. Send step – Get you a mandolin. You canโt do this without one.
3. Third step – Mandolin the slices thinly, until theyโre bendable. This will depend on your apple. Test a few slices, see if you can roll them up, if not, then they need to be thinner.
ALSO, the thinner they are, the better they are to use at the start of your rose. I found this was key. The thicker slices can be used at the end when they donโt have to be so bendable. Does this make sense?
4. Get other people involved – This goes much quicker if thereโs more than one person involved. Obvious advice, I know, but seriously get some helpers!
This tart is an updated version of this apple tart I made a super long time ago AND also inspired by Alain Passardโs very famous apple tart. I watched his Chefโs Table and I loved what he said. If you havenโt watched it, Iโll paraphrase. He basically said what he loves the most is design and construction.
I think I love that, too. ARE THE SAME?! I kid…
Tips and Tricks
- Keep everything cold โ the dough, the apples, your hands, everything. It makes for a flakier crust.
- A dash of rose water in the apples can really elevate the “rose” in this tart.
- Glaze the apples with a bit of warmed apricot jam post-bake for a shiny, professional touch.
- Roughly chopped pistachios not only add texture but also a pop of color that screams gourmet.
- When serving, a dollop of crรจme fraรฎche or a scoop of vanilla ice cream isn’t necessary, but, come on, we both know it’s a good idea.
Recipe faqs
Aha! Slice ’em thin and give them a quick zap in the microwave to make them pliable. Careful, though โ too long and youโll end up with apple mush.
No tart pan? No problem. A good old pie dish will do the trick, just might not be as easy to get out.
You bet! Assemble it, chill it, then bake it fresh when you need to impress.
Sure thing. Try a crumble topping or a sprinkle of oats for texture if nuts are a no-go.
A thin layer of almond paste or apricot jam on the crust before you lay down the apples can be your armor against sogginess.
Rose Apple Pistachio Tart
Ingredients
- 1 store-bought or homemade single pie crust
- 1/2 batch of pistachio butter, you can also use store-bought almond butter if you want to skip a step!
- 4 to 5 crisp apples, about 3 pounds of choice (I used a combo of Pink Pearl + Granny Smith)
- Juice from 1 lemon, squeezed into a small bowl
- 1 to 2 teaspoons powdered sugar, for dusting (optional)
- Whipped cream or ice cream, for serving
Instructions
- Remove your pie crust from the fridge and roll it out into a 13-inch circle (this can be eyeballed). If youโre using a homemade batch, you may need to let it chill on a lightly floured surface before rolling it out. Lightly flour your rolling pin and roll the pie crust, moving it every so often, and adding flour underneath it, if needed. Roll it over the rolling pin and onto a 9-inch tart pan. Gently give the pie crust some slack so it can lay flush to the crevices to the tart pan. Do this all the way around the tart.
- Take your rolling pin and roll it over the tart pan; the edges of the tart pan will cut the pie crust. Remove the scraps and set them aside. Transfer to the freezer to chill for 5 minutes (this will help with spreading pistachio butter onto the surface). Smear pistachio butter in an even layer to the bottom of the tart shell.
- Remove the core and slice the first apple in quarters. Using a mandolin, thinly slice the apples. You should be ending with sort of moon shape slices (see photo above for visual assistance). Lay about 15 to 17 slices (for bigger roses) or 8 to 10 (for smaller roses) side by side, overlapping them slightly, horizontally. Brush them with a bit of lemon juice.
- If you have any super thin slices, place them at the start of the โrose.โ Roll up the apples, gently, going from the very thin slice to the end. Transfer it to the tart and push it slightly into the pistachio butter. This should hold it in its place. Repeat with the remaining apples.
- This does take a bit. It took me a solid hour and a half to do. I know, insanity. But itโs so much better with some music and a friend. I actually enjoyed myself.
- I alternated by putting the red apples roses next to the green apple roses. And made sure to include small roses next to big ones. When youโre all done, transfer the tart to a baking sheet and place that in your fridge for 1 hour. This will really firm up the pie crust and apples.
- When youโre ready, preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Transfer the baking sheet with the tart to the oven and bake for 30 to 35 minutes, until the edges of the tart crust is lightly golden brown and the applesโ tops are lightly golden brown, too.
- Allow to cool slightly before slicing it up with a very sharp knife. Dust with powdered sugar if you like and serve with whipped cream or ice cream
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Wow it looks impressive! Perfect for the autumn dinner table. Will definitely try to make it one day, hopefully before the winter comes. ๐ Thank you!
A very beautiful rose cake! It must have delicious tasted … made me hungry ๐
This may seem like a silly question because it could compromise the tart, but I am allergic to pistachio… and all treenuts (not peanut). Any suggestions on what could be a delicious alternative? Thanks!
You know what would be good is if you mixed some peanut butter with a bit of powdered sugar and then smeared that on the bottom of the tart. OR you could combine 2 tablespoons of sugar + water + a splash of bourbon and warm it until the sugar dissolves and brush that on the top after it bakes. Almost like a sweet bourbon syrup.
I made your other Rose Apple Pie/Tart which came out beautifully, so I’m looking forward to making this version. My coworkers were guinea pigs on my previous versions until I could get it perfect!
ahhh this makes me so happy! this is definitely a more intense version of that one but if you’re looking for something fun to do, this is it!
Bazonk. This is the prettiest internet I’ve seen in a while. Love those apple roses and love the tips as noted above – PEOPLE ARE SMART!! Adding it to the make-list. Also your pictures are SMOKIN’. XO
Apple is very healthiest fruit for health and making dish by the help of Apple also healthiest and tasty. Thanks for this healthy recipe .
This is absolutely stunning! I’ll have to wait for a day when I have the whole day to spend on making this! Kudos to you and your skill making all those roses! Thanks so much for sharing this ๐
This is just so beautiful. I can’t imagine what it must take to make all these roses. I really want to try it now though!