Apple “Pumpkin” Puffs

The cutest little apple puff pastry pumpkin patch

Let me tell you, I usually have zero patience for the cutesy details you see all over the internet. BUT when I saw someone make a pumpkin with puff pastry wrapped around a wheel of brie I thought… ok but how do I do this with an apple? 

This my friends, is about as cute as I get and if I do say so myself, it’s hella cute and perfect for the fall. Also, it’s quite simple (especially if you use store-bought puff pastry sheets). Simply roll out your dough, cut into squares, place a yummy oat mixture at the bottom, your flour-coated apple slices on top, wrap, and tie! Writing that made it sound more involved but honestly, the puff pastry does all the work by, well, puffing in the oven! Between the twine and the pastry, the oven bakes us these perfect little pumpkins filled with perfectly baked apples.

So if you like apples that keep their texture (aka no mush here), flaky, buttery puff pastry (I mean obviously), and bakes that look 100% adorable, this recipe is for you.

Yields: 4

Ingredients:

• Puff pastry (homemade or store-bought)

• 2 large apples

• 1 egg

• 2 tbsp flour

• 2 tbsp oats 

• 2 tbsp brown sugar

• Dash cinnamon

• Dash salt

• ½ cup flour

• 2 tsp cinnamon

• 3 feet kitchen twine

Directions:

• Preheat your oven to 375F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper

• In a bowl combine your two tablespoons of flour, oats, and brown sugar with a dash of cinnamon and salt. Set aside

• Place your apple upright on your cutting board and slice down, so you have a whole slice of apple, into ⅛-inch slices. Avoid the core

• In a medium bowl, combine ½ cup of flour and two teaspoons of cinnamon. Toss your apple slices in the flour mixture until fully coated

• Roll your puff pastry to ⅛-inch thickness (if you made it from scratch, wrap and store half of your puff pastry in the fridge for a later use). Roll off any uneven edges if needed, and cut into four 5”x5” squares

• Place 1 ½ tablespoons of your oat mixture in the center of each puff pastry square

• Stack 4-6 apple slices on top of your oat mixture, placing the biggest rounds on the bottom

• Pull puff pastry snugly up to the top of the apple stack, working around in a circle to pull a piece of dough up and over the last, and press together to seal

• Cut three pieces of twine, 1 foot each. Lay out the twine, making a wheel shape with six “spokes.” Place your apple-wrapped pastry, seam side down, onto the center of your twine wheel before tying and knotting each string snuggly at the top. You should have 6 segments. Trim off any excess strings above the knots

• Place your wrapped puffs on a plate and pop in the fridge for 8 minutes before putting on a parchment lined baking tray

• In a bowl, beat together your egg and a splash of water. Brush your egg wash over each “pumpkin”

• Bake for 32-35 minutes. Each pumpkin should be puffed and a deep golden color

• Leave them on the tray for 3 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack. Carefully trim and remove the twine from your pumpkins

• Cool for at least 15 minutes and decorate with basil stems and leaves

• Enjoy!

If you love this recipe and find it as cute and delicious as I do, tag @accentgolden in your posts on social so I can see your bakes!