Spring is blooming and the red of Modì becomes the main feature of these small delicate “floral” strawberry-scented brioches. Soft croissant roses enveloping thin apple slices, fresh strawberries and a couple of spoonfuls of extra strawberry jam: very simple pastries, but tasty and impressive! When to enjoy them? For an afternoon snack (delicious with a fragrant cup of hibiscus tea), perfect to bring to a party or for a picnic in the open, and absolutely special for a breakfast with that romantic touch.
Ingredients for 6 rose-croissants 8 cm (3 inches) in diameter
Dough for puff pastry croissants (already rolled out) | 240g (8.5 Oz)
Cored unpeeled Modì apple | 1
A few thinly cut fresh strawberries
Lemon juice qs
Extra strawberry jam or strawberry preserve with a high percentage of fruit qs
Preparation
Wash the apple and slice it thinly. Spray lemon juice over the slices and place them in a microwave oven for around one minute at full power to soften them. Alternatively, you can simmer them in a saucepan with a few drops of water until tender and flexible (they need to be folded without breaking).
Cut the puff pastry into 6 rectangles: spread each rectangle with a little strawberry jam, place the apple slices on half of each rectangle overlapping them or alternating them with a few strawberry slices and make sure they brim over slightly from the sides to obtain the “rose effect.” Fold over the other half of the dough rectangle over the fruit slices and roll them in a cylinder so as to form a “flower.”
Place the resulting roses in well-buttered muffin moulds and heat them in a preheated oven at 180°C (gas mark 4, ventilated oven) for around 20-25 minutes or until golden brown.
They are delicious served hot straight out of the oven (they should preferably be enjoyed the same day).
They can accompany a scoop of ice-cream or can simply be dusted with a little caster sugar.