These flaky, sweet, and fall-spiced apple pastry rings are like a delicious fall pastry donut that’ll have you reaching for seconds (and thirds, let’s be honest). The deliciously simple vanilla bean glaze overtop adds a touch more sweetness and while totally optional—is not optional, you know?
Let’s bake, friends!
This recipe is sponsored by Yes! Apples.
Some Materials You’ll Need:
- Apple peeler + corer
- Large baking sheet
- Parchment Paper
- Various mixing spoons/cups
- Whisk
- Pastry cutter (or knife to cut pastry into strips)
- Pastry brush (or something to apply egg wash with)
- Small Mixing Bowl
- Spatula
Preparing & Cutting the Puff Pastry
The first thing I’ll say with puff pastry (homemade or store-bought), is that you want to keep it on the colder side. It has a tendency to get sticky as it warms up, making it rather a nightmare to handle. So if at any point in this recipe you find yourself at wit’s end with the dough (happens to the best of us, trust me)—just stick it back in the fridge for a good 15 minutes to let things chill down and firm back up.
Now onto cutting your strips! My pastry was roughly 10×14 inches, so I started by cutting it vertically into (10) 1-inch strips (see below). Then, I cut it horizontally across 3 times (also see below), so that I was left with a bunch of ~3 1/2 x 1-inch strips. Then pop them in the fridge to chill down while you prep the apple. Cut the pastry on your parchment-lined baking sheet for easy transfer!
I do not suggest leaving these as super long strips and trying to wrap around/through the apple rings. Trust me, I tried! After about your 2nd or 3rd overlap things start to tear and stretch, leaving you with gaps and a mess. Go for strips with these apple pastry rings!
Prepping Your Apples (& Which Apples are Best!)
I was typically able to get about (6) ~1/2 inch rings from one apple and only needed one sheet of pastry per apple. So if you’re careful when prepping the apple, you should only need one as well! Start by peeling and coring the apple, then turn it on it’s side, trimming the ends to make them flat. Then cut into your 1/4-1/2 inch rings.
After that, I used the back of a large piping tip (it was about 1 inch in diameter) to make the center hole a bit bigger. This will make wrapping your pastry through the rings much easier and give you a more defined shape! You could also use a small rounded cookie cutter if you have it.
Which Apples Should You Use?
Yes! Apples, of course! I tested this recipe using two different varieties from my buddies over there. Sometimes with their Honeycrisp (ooh so juicy and crunchy) and other times with the sweet and tangy star, SweeTango. Both are also excellent for snacking, just saying! Head over to their website and grab some apples to be shipped right to your door! They come fresh every time and if there’s any time for apples, it’s the fall.
How to Assemble These Apple Pastry Rings
Keep your strips of pastry in the fridge and only work with what you need for each apple ring, otherwise your strips will get too sticky (you will use about 6-8 strips for every ring). Use the photos below as a reference for what it looks like as you work your away around! The second photo shows how it looks on the back (bottom) of the ring where your strip overlaps.
- Wrap one strip around the top of a ring, tucking/overlapping at the back (which will be the bottom), slightly pressing together to help seal together.
- Working your way clockwise around the ring, slightly overlap a second strip, tucking underneath and pressing to seal as well.
- Then just keep working your way around the apple ring until it’s fully covered!
- Place the wrapped ring back in the fridge to keep cool while you move onto the next one.
Wrapping Tips
You can sometimes stretch the pastry a little to use less strips per ring (see photos below where one ring has about 8 or even 9 strips, while the other has 6). You don’t need to overlap these a ton as you work your way around. Puff pastry is a little more forgiving in terms of stretch than your typical pie dough, just be careful you don’t stretch it too much that it breaks.
Egg Wash + Baking Your Apple Pastry Rings
Be generous with that egg wash! Check out how much I use on each below—really go for it! It’s what gives them that nice, dark, golden color. It also helps give them a nice crunch! Then it’s up to you on how much of the spiced sugar mixture you sprinkle overtop (I went with about a 1/2 teaspoon each).
As for baking these apple pastry ladies, you’ll want to give them at least 20 minutes and then from there just keep an eye on the browning. 25 minutes was perfect for my oven, but each oven is different! I also like mine to be darker for a good, flaky crunch.
How to Make the Vanilla Bean Glaze
This is about as easy a glaze as any out there. All you need to do is sift your powdered sugar into a small bowl and then whisk in the vanilla bean paste and milk! If you want a thinner glaze, add more milk. If you want a thicker glaze, sift in a little more powdered sugar.
Yes, you COULD use pure vanilla extract in place of the paste, but vanilla paste (I find) has a much deeper, richer flavor. Plus, it’s fun to see the little flecks of vanilla bean in the glaze!
Please, please tag me over on Instagram (@joshisbaking) if you make these, friends! Would love to see and share the flaky goodness. Message me there or comment below with any questions/troubles you might run into (hopefully none)—always happy to help.
Happy baking!
Need more apple recipes in your life? Check out my French Apple Tart, Apple & Almond Cream Galette, and Apple Loaf!
Print
Apple Pastry Rings
- Prep Time: 45 Min.
- Chill time: 30 Min.
- Cook Time: 25 Min.
- Total Time: ~1 Hr. 40 Min.
- Yield: (6) Large Apple Pastries
Description
Flaky, sweet, & fall-spiced apple pastry rings topped with a delicious vanilla bean glaze!
Ingredients
Apple Pastry
- 1 sheet of store-bought puff pastry, thawed (375g)
- 1 medium or large apple, peeled/cored (I used Yes! Apples)
- 1 large egg for egg wash (~55g)
Spiced Sugar
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar (75g)
- 3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon (+ extra for sprinkling)
- 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
Vanilla Bean Glaze
- 1 1/2 cups powered sugar (175g)
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla bean paste (or extract)
- 2–3 tablespoons whole milk
Instructions
- Thaw your puff pastry according to the instructions on the packaging (see notes for tips). Prep a large baking sheet with parchment paper and place your puff pastry overtop. First, cut it vertically it into 1-inch strips, so you end up with really long strips. Then cut it horizontally across 3 times, so you’re left with a bunch of smaller 3 1/2 x 1 inch strips (see photos in blog above for what this looks like). Place back in the fridge for 15-20 minutes while you prep the apple (keeps it from getting sticky).
- If you haven’t already, peel and core your apple (I typically only need 1 apple for every 1 sheet of pastry). After coring, turn the apple on its side and trim the ends so that they’re flat, not rounded. Then cut the apple into (6) ~1/2 inch rings (you may need to cut smaller to get 6 rings). Finally, using the back of large piping tip or small 1 inch rounded cookie cutter, make the hole in the center of each a bit bigger so it’s easier to wrap the pastry through (see photos in blog above).
- Keep your strips of pastry in the fridge and only work with what you need for each apple ring, otherwise your strips will get too sticky (you will use 6-8 strips for every ring). Wrap one strip around the top of a ring, tucking/overlapping at the back (which will be the bottom), slightly pressing together to help seal together. Then just work your way clockwise around the ring, slightly overlapping each strip until it’s fully covered! Place the wrapped ring back in the fridge to keep cool while you move onto the next one.
- WRAPPING TIPS: You can sometimes stretch the pastry a little to use less strips per ring (see photos in the blog above for what 6 strips looks like vs. 8). You don’t need to overlap these a ton as you work your way around.
- Once you’ve wrapped each apple ring with all of your pastry strips, place them on the baking sheet spaced a few inches apart. Keep them in the fridge for 15-20 minutes while you preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C), and prep your egg wash (just one egg, lightly whisked) + spiced sugar (whisk together sugar and spices in a small bowl).
- Once the oven is preheated, brush the tops of the each pastry with a generous amount of egg wash and sprinkle about a 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon of the spice sugar mixture evenly overtop each. Then bake on the center rack at 400°F (200°C) for 20-25 minutes or until desired browning (no less than 20 minutes or your pastry won’t be cooked all the way through). Let cool for 15 minutes on the baking sheet before transferring to a separate rack to cool completely.
- Once cooled completely, make the glaze (if still warm, the glaze won’t stick). Sift your powered sugar into a small bowl, add your teaspoon of vanilla bean paste, and 2 tablespoons of whole milk. Whisk together and add the extra tablespoon of whole milk if too thick (you can add a little more powdered sugar if the added milk makes it too thin—baker’s choice). Drizzle the glaze overtop each pastry and sprinkle some extra ground cinnamon on top (optional). Then, enjoy!
Notes
- Storing: These will keep for a few days stored at room temperature in an airtight container (don’t store in the fridge or it’ll mess with the pastry consistency).
- Handling Puff Pastry: If things ever get too sticky with the dough, just pop it in the fridge for about 15 minutes to cool down and firm back up. Puff pastry has a high butter content and your hands (when handling it) gradually start to warm all that butter up.
- Egg Wash and Baking Time: Don’t be afraid to bake these closer to that 25 minute mark and really go in on that egg wash! Both will give these apple pastry rings a much-welcome crunch.
Check out my most recent recipes:
- Everything Bagel Pastries with Cream Cheese
- Apple and Goat Cheese Tart with Fig Jam
- Strawberry Almond Snacking Cake
Looking for something else to bake?
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