Apple Rose Tarte Tatins

Caramelised Apple Tatins

1. Peel and core the apples then cut them up into small cubes. Place them in a oven-proof dish.  Preheat the oven to 200°C/400°F/Mark 6)/180°C fan.
2. In a small saucepan, heat the sugar and a few drops of water over high heat.  Stirring from time to time with a wooden spoon KEEP YOUR EYE ON IT (don't cut the apples now - no cheating!  That's why we do this first). After about 8-10 minutes it will turn into a lovely golden caramel. As soon as it does, lower the heat and stir in the butter.  Take off the heat and stir in the warm water until the caramel is smooth.  Add the salt and stir again then pour over the apples.
3. Cover with aluminium foil and bake for 30 minutes. After 25 minutes, Soak the gelatine in cold water for 10 minutes. Remove the foil and stir the apples then bake for a further 5 minutes. Squeeze out the water and dissolve the gelatine to the apples.
4. Set aside until cool, then spoon into silicone moulds. (If you don't have silicone, regular muffin moulds will do).  The moulds can be muffin, briochette, domes, savarin ... whatever takes your fancy! Then place them on a tray and freeze for 3 hours.

Apple Roses

1. Prepare the steeping mixture in a large bowl: squeeze in the orange juice (and water if need to make up to 150g), and add the sugar and butter.
2. Wash the red apple, cut in 2 then spoon or cut out the middle core, taking off the stalk and bottom too.  Using a mandolin, cut the apple into thin slices - WATCH your fingers! (If you don't have a mandolin, use a sharp knife and cut them as thin as you can).
3.  Microwave the mixture for 2min 30 seconds. Filter out the froth on the butter using a sieve into another bowl. Add the apple slices to the warm buttery juice and leave to soften them for 10-15 minutes.  (No more, otherwise the butter will harden and it will become messy).
4. Drain the slices of the butter and on a baking sheet topped with baking parchment or a silpat mat, arrange about 5-8 slices in a row. If there's excess butter, then pat them very lightly with kitchen paper. Transfer to the fridge for 10 minutes to make it easier to handle them.
5. Now taking the opposite end of each row, tightly roll the apples into a rose shape. Transfer to muffin moulds and chill in the fridge to keep their shape.

Pastry Bases

1. Preheat the oven to 180°C/360°F/Mark 4/160°C fan. Using ready-rolled pastry (if not roll it out to about 5mm thick - think a pound coin), cut out circles using a cookie cutter or bottom of a glass, at least the same width as the widest part of your individual mould size. Place on baking paper on a baking sheet, placing another sheet of baking paper on top then cover with another baking sheet (so that the pastry doesn't puff up and rise in the oven).
2. Bake for 15 minutes. Dust with icing sugar and leave to cool on a wire tray.

To Assemble the Apple Rose Tarte Tatins

1. Take the tatins out of the freezer, peeling off the frozen apple mixture and place directly on to the pastry base (if using regular moulds, then cut around the edges with a sharp knife and tip up on to a plate or pastry scraper). Leave at room temperature for about an hour until defrosted. When ready to serve, top each with a dollop of crème fraîche or whipped cream (although optional) and the apple rose. Just to give a final sheen to the roses, brush with syrup.