During the Christmas season food is in abundance; colourful and tasty feasts are delighted in all around. These apple puff pastry rolls are a great alternative to mince pies.
Apple puff pastry with Christmas spices
Ingredients:
- 500g block of puff pastry
- 4 tbsp Muscovado sugar
- 4 Cox apples
- 2 tsp cinnamon
- 1 tsp powdered ginger
- 1 tsp powdered nutmeg
- 2 egg yolks
- 1 tbsp milk
Method
- Preheat your oven to 180°C.
- On a lightly floured surface roll out your puff pastry into a large square shape, about 3-4 mm thick. Brush the whole sheet of puff pastry with the beaten egg yolk mixed with the milk.
- Mix together the Muscovado sugar with all the spices and sprinkle this dry mix evenly all over the pastry sheet.
- Wash, core, quarter and slice the apples as finely as you possibly can (use a mandolin if you have one). Then slice again to obtain a “julienne”: thin strips of apple cut to matchstick size. Scatter them evenly onto the pastry sheet all facing the same direction; this will make it a lot easier to roll. Once you have covered your whole sheet of pastry with the apple julienne you can start the rolling as you would for a classic roulade; making sure the apples are wrapped nice and tightly inside.
- Once you have a large sausage-like roulade, cut into round slices of 4cm thick using a sharp knife. Brush all over with the egg wash before snuggling into muffin moulds and cooking for 25 minutes until golden brown.
The Christmas spirit is one that I thoroughly enjoy. Sharing delicious meals and fantastic wines with all the family brings a smile to my face.
To keep the whole family happy I make enormous quantities of mince pies. However, this year I’m going to do something a little different and make delicious, individual spiced apple rolls using puff pastry.
For a best budget dessert wine to go with these, the Château Haut-Bernasse Monbazillac 2005 is a must. The notes of honey and grapefruit are perfect for nuancing our spiced sweet Christmas delights.
The Coteaux du Layon, Carte d’Or, Baumard 2011 is a fantastic alternative to Sauternes; too often considered as the only dessert wine available. This perky young wine is moderately sweet with hints of fig and orange.
A personal favourite of mine, although a little more pricey and all the way from Canada is Neige Ice Cider 2012. With aromas of freshly picked apples this sweet ice cider has the perfect balance of sugar and acidity. There simply couldn’t be a better combination at Christmas time.
Wines to drink with Apple puff pastry with Christmas spices by Michel Roux Jr.
Château Haut-Bernasse Monbazillac, 2005 – Wonderfully fruity with sweet apricots, peaches and honey. A gorgeous dessert wine that feels perfectly indulgent around the festive season.
RRP: £21.95 Evingtons
Coteaux du Layon Carte d’Or, Baumard, 2011 – There is a slight smokeyness to this dessert wine which is a great balance with the sweetness and spiciness of the dessert. On the palate is honey and citrus making it both tangy and fresh.
RRP: £9.49 The Fine Wine Company
Neige Ice Cider, 2012 – Made with a combination of McIntoch apple which has a sweet and acidic flavour and the Spartan apple which is gorgeously sweet with aromas of pear, this golden dessert wine is not the obvious choice but is a real show stopper, which is exactly what you want around this time of year.
RRP: £47.50 (37.5cl) The Drinks Shop
