Apple Rose Puff Pastry

These Apple Roses are totally pinterest worthy.
If all the photos, both surfacing on the web and on here, don't convince you to make this..
I don't know what will.

Apple Rose Puff Pastry
recipe adapted from Cooking with Manuela
makes enough for 12 roses

store bought puff pastry dough, thawed
2 apples *fuji
juice from 1/2 a lemon
water, enough to submerge apple slices
flour, to avoid puff pastry dough from sticking
unsalted butter, melted
sugar
cinnamon
drizzle of honey, to finish

APPLES: Prepare a bowl with some water and lemon juice. Cut apples in half, remove core and cut into paper thin slices. Place apple slices in prepared lemon water and microwave for 2-3 minutes to make them slightly softer. Check to see if they can bend and not break. If not, let them sit in the warm water or microwave for another minute. Drain and slightly cool.

PUFF PASTRY: Thaw puff pastry for about 15-20 minutes until softened. Place over a clean and lightly floured counter. Using a rolling pin, stretch the dough a little keeping it in a rectangular shape. Cut the dough into strips about 2 in x 9 in (5 cm x 22 cm).

*I had 6 sheets of 7.5 in x 11.5 in, halved them lengthwise, and ended up with strips about 3.8 in x 11.5 in. Should've cut three strips out of each sheet. 

ASSEMBLY: Melt butter and have sugar cinnamon mixture ready. (My sugar cinnamon mixture was roughly 2 parts sugar and 1 part cinnamon.) Place apples on top half of strip. Brush bottom half with melted butter and sprinkle with sugar cinnamon mix. Fold bottom half up. Brush with melted butter and sprinkle with sugar cinnamon mix again. Roll, seal edge, and place in greased muffin pan. Repeat for rest of apples and puff pastry.

BAKE: Bake for 40-45 mins at 375F until fully cooked. 

*I baked mine at 400F for the first 15 mins and lowered to 375F for another 45 mins.

Before | After

SERVE: Let cool briefly, drizzle with honey or dust with powdered sugar, and serve!

Taste: 4 stars out of 5

Could've been more heavy handed on the sugar inside the roll, but the honey drizzle at the end added just the right amount for mild sweetness. 

Texture: 4 stars out of 5

Crunchy and flaky exterior; a bit doughy for the inside layer possibly due to thick puff pastry dough strips. 

Btw, check out the Rose Apple Tart I made for my mom's birthday last year.

rough estimate
not including melted butter, sugar cinnamon mix, and drizzle of honey