These delicate flowers make an excellent dessert centerpiece!

I love these fancy treats. Sure, an apple pie is easier to make, but when you want to impress someone there is nothing better than making a dessert that looks like a flower. Why? I don’t know. People just like food that looks like plants. It’s just a fact.

Plus, after you make this you’ll have some extra saffron lemon honey!

Ingredients

• 1/3 cup honey
• 1/2 tsp saffron threads
• 1 lemon
• 2 apples
• 1 sheet puff pastry (thawed or homemade)
• Sugar, for sprinkling

Directions

1. Make the lemon saffron honey: Squeeze the juice of 1/2 a lemon into a small bowl, and mix in the saffron threads. Let the mixture sit for at least 10 minutes so the saffron threads release their flavor. Warm the honey in a small pot over a very low heat to thin it, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat and stir in the lemon and saffron mixture. Set aside to cool.
2. Preheat oven to 375 F. Use a mandolin (or sharp knife) to slice the apples very thin, starting from the bottom of the apple and working towards the stem. Cut the apple circles in half, and lay out on a microwavable plate. Squeeze lemon juice over the apple slices and microwave for about a minute, or until the apple slices are pliable. Cover with a paper towel and set aside.
3. Rolled out the thawed pastry sheet (it should be pliable but not too warm) until it is slightly thinner and wider. Cut the pastry sheet into 6 strips.
4. Brush the lemon saffron honey onto the puff pastry strip. Layer the apple slices on the top half of the pastry, letting the skin side hang over the top of the pastry and overlapping slices. Fold up the bottom half of the pastry. Roll the pastry up from one end. Repeat with all 6 strips. (See photos!)
5. Place the apple flowers in a cupcake tray, and bake for 40-55 minutes, covering the tops with foil after about 30 minutes.
6. Remove from pan. Sprinkle with sugar and drizzle on some lemon saffron honey. Serve warm.