- 10 oz vegan puffy pastry shells, frozen
- 12 oz gala apple
- 4 tbsp granulated sugar
- 1/2 tsp allspice
- 1/2 tsp ground cardamom
- 1/4 cup raisins
- 1/4 cup dark rum
- 1 lemon slice
- 1 tbsp powdered confectioners’ sugar
These flaky, French-Style Apple Baskets are a European version of our good American Apple Pie in convenient individual servers. They look sophisticated and will bring a beautiful aroma to your kitchen – a total bonus! It makes a superb pastry with tea, coffee, or a fancy dessert. Rosewater is commonly used in Mediterranean dishes; you can find it online or in Mediterranean stores. You will make your guests feel like lounging in a café in Paris.
- Soak raisins in rum overnight. If you are short of time, warm the rum (do not boil) and soak the raisins for a couple of hours. The raisins should plump nicely as they absorb some of the liquid. Drain and reserve the left rum.
- Core, seed, and chop the apples. Do not peel them. In a medium saucepan over medium heat, add the chopped apples, granulated sugar, allspice, ground cardamom, 2 tablespoons of water, lemon slice, and what is left from the rum. Let it frequently cook until the liquid evaporates, about 10 minutes. Remove from stove, fish out the lemon slice, and discard it. Add raisins and stir to combine. Let it cool to room temperature.
- Preheat the oven to 400F (204C). Break along pre-scored lines to separate the puffy pastry shells—place shells on ungreased baking sheets with “tops” up. Place the baking sheet in the middle of the oven rack. Bake it for 15 minutes or until golden brown and puffed.
- Cool on a wire rack for 5 minutes. Use a sharp knife to carefully remove the “tops” and soft pastry underneath, leaving a central cavity. Let them cool completely, about 15 minutes. Using a small spoon, fill the baskets with apples. Dust the baskets with powdered sugar.