As Juliet may have lamented from the Shakespeare play “Romeo and Juliet,” “A rose by any other name would smell as an apple?” No, we won’t taint Juliet’s plea, but I am here to let you know that an apple is that of a rose, at least it is of the same family.

Apples, quinces, pears, peaches, plums, apricots, cherries, blackberries, raspberries and strawberries — whether wild or cultivated — are all relatives of the roses. Their fruits, raw or cooked, give us desserts, pleasant drinks, and many a between-meal delicacy. Typically, they have showy flowers with five equal petals arranged around a central cup bearing one or more fruit-forming pistils and a large number of pollen-bearing stamens. Their leaves are placed alternately on the twigs or stalks — some of them simple leaves; some of them compound leaves divided into three, five or more leaflets like the rose itself. Some are trees, some are shrubs, and some are vining herbs.

So, in the light of this new information, let’s get bakin’! And my suggestion is to incorporate the apple and rose in this gorgeous tart! Shakespeare would be proud 😉

Ingredients

For the Walnut Crust:

2½ cups walnut pieces

4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

2 tablespoons granulated sugar

1 egg white

¼ teaspoon kosher salt

For the Custard:

1½ cups milk

6 egg yolks

½ cup pure maple syrup

¼ cup cornstarch

½ teaspoon kosher salt

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Additionally:

2 red skinned apples (I used Pink  Lady), quartered, cored, and thinly sliced (keep in lemon water until ready to use)

juice of 1 lemon

¼ cup apricot jam, warmed (optional)

A Charming Video on How to Make Apple Rose Mini Tarts

NOTE: Follow the instructions below for the rose apples for this recipe

Instructions

For the Walnut Crust:

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

In a food processor or chopper, pulse the walnuts until the are finely chopped, and the pieces are about the size of breadcrumbs.

Place the chopped nuts in a large bowl and add the remaining ingredients, tossing together with a fork. Press the mixture evenly over the bottom and up the sides of a 9-inch tart pan with a removable bottom. Bake for 15 minutes.

Custard:

Pour milk into a small pot and place over medium heat until small bubbles form around the edges. In a medium mixing bowl, whisk the egg yolks with the maple syrup, cornstarch, and salt. Slowly pour the hot milk over the egg mixture, while whisking, to warm the eggs. Place the mixture back into the pot and place over low heat. Cook, stirring constantly, until the mixture comes to a bubble and becomes very thick. Stir in the vanilla and transfer to a heat safe container. Lay plastic wrap over the surface. Chill for 2 hours.

Assemble the Tart:

Spread the maple custard in the walnut tart shell. Warm the apple slices in the microwave until pliable. Roll a slice of apple into a tight spiral and stand it up vertically in the custard. Continue to arrange apple slices in a concentric pattern, around the first one, building a rose pattern. Warm the apricot jam, and thin it with lemon juice. Brush this glaze over the apples, for shine and to prevent browning (optional).