Mummy Baked Apples

Halloween is a great time to dress up your desserts and turn them from tasty treats into tricky ones. These Mummy Baked Apples are baked apples wrapped in puff pastry “bandaging” to give them a delicious – and spooky – finished look!

These Mummies are easy to make and only require a few ingredients: apples, puff pastry and a bit of sugar. Frozen puff pastry should be defrosted before use, then the pastry should be cut into 1-inch strips and wrapped around the prepared apples. The wrapping should overlap and look slightly haphazard – just like the wrapping on a long-dead mummy from a scary movie. It is crucial for the pastry to be pinched together on the bottom of each apple to prevent any apple juice from leaking out and turning the pastry soggy. The pastry should be finished with an egg wash to encourage browning and a sprinkle of sugar for added sweetness.

When it comes to the apples, choose medium-sized fruit because the giant apples that are as big as your head (yes, I’ve seen them in stores!) are too large to bake through completely in the time needed to bake the pastry. Any baking apple will do, so choose apples that are crisp and have a nice sweet-tart flavor. The apples should be cored using a melon baller, removing the stem and seeds, but leaving the base of the apples intact. Leaving the base in place creates a pocket to hold a spoonful of brown sugar and also helps to minimize the amount of juice the runs out as the apples bake.

The eyes are the finishing touch on these Mummy Apples and should only be added after baking. I used eyes made out of sugar paste, but hard sugar eyes may be easier to find in the cake decorating aisle and are also a good option. The apples are tasty on their own and they are even better when served alongside a scoop of vanilla ice cream!

Mummy Baked Apples
4 medium-sized apples, peeled
4 tbsp brown sugar
10-oz package puff pastry, defrosted (I used Trader Joe’s)
1 large egg
1 tbsp water
2 tbsp sugar

Preheat oven to 400F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Use a melon baller to remove the stem and center seeds of the apples, leaving the bottom intact. Fill each cavity with 1 tbsp brown sugar
Roll out pastry on a very lightly floured surface and cut into 1-inch strips. Wrap strips around each apple, making sure the strips overlap and pinching the bottom (the pastry under the apples) to seal it. Leave a small vent at the top of each apple, either by leaving a gap in the pastry or cutting a small vent. The strips can be wrapped haphazardly, to give the look of loose mummy wrapping. Transfer apples to the baking sheet.
In a small bowl, whisk together egg and water. Lightly brush the egg wash over the pastry-wrapped apples. Sprinkle with sugar.
Bake for about 30 minutes, or until pastry is golden brown.
Transfer pastries to a wire rack to cool for about 15 minutes before serving. Decorate with candy eyes.

Makes 4.

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