Mar
16
Apple Napoleon
Prepare everything before hand. I eat apple napoleon A LOT so I always take one day out of the week to prepare my phyllo dough and sliced apples. I take them out whenever I feel like baking them directly from the freezer. I used sugar and apple pie spice to season the apples.
Phyllo dough, or edible paper. Phyllo dough comes in rolled up packages but each sheet needs to be separated and buttered.
Individual sheets.
Best way to prepare phyllo dough is to use butter spray. It’s faster and lighter than brushing on melted butter. After you spray it you stack the sheets on top of another.
Keep them in the freezer. When you’re ready to eat, take them out and bake both the apple and phyllo at 375 f. Phyllo will be done faster. I forgot the time because I watch them. Make sure you flip phyllo so both sides get toasty. Apples will take longer than the phyllo. I cooked them on separate racks.
Caramel helps glue the apples on.
Stack the separately cooked phyllo and apples.
very lovely
This looks delicious and comforting!! Do you ever use other types of fruits to the same effect?
That looks amazing. Oh man, am I so hungry right now LOL. Awesome stuff
woah. this looks DELICIOUS!!
I’m sure someone asked before but how can you eat so many ‘rich’ food and stay so amazingly fit ?
xx
wonderful!!
Delicious! Ever since you posted the “how to make mozzarella” video I try to envision a soundtrack to your posts.
Yum yum! This looks like something I would actually have the patience to make. Very simple but comforting. Love the dark background and steam (smoke? fog?) effect. Reminds me of snow white lol.
amazing!!!!!!!!!
Perfect choice of granny smith, slightly sour but not too sour, great idea with spraying the butter and simply cooking the apple separate from the pastry keeps the pastry crisp rather than soggy (why didn’t I ever think of that!). So simple. I love how you pull off complex experimental dishes just as well as putting little twists on classics. Thank you for sharing <3
Your photography is awesome. Very well thought out and executed. Apple stuff looks yummy too.
hahahhahah omg these photos are so dramatic! I feel like I’m looking at movie posters for some apple pie version of shutter island or something.
SO intense.
but seriously, amazing.
I am officially amazed.
Wow! Your pictures make me so hungry!
It looks delicious and the pictures are really awesome!
you inspire me to be creative when i cook!!!!!!
This looks so delicious! It is nice to see someone as into food as I am =) It always pays to make yourself the best meals at home and most delicious things. It is the only way to live. xo
OHHH the last photooooo…wowza this set almost feels like it’s taking us through a HD movie…
When I get the email notification that you’ve posted a new blog, I click faster than the speed of light to check it out. Thanks for such amazingly rich work.
What kind of syrup do you make for this? Would honey be too overpowering or could you use agave nectar?
Thanks for the beautiful pictures
I don’t think it would be…I used caramel. You’re welcome!
WoW. These pictures are amazing and the Apple Napoleon looks so delish!!
this looks exactly my kind of delight
I want it, would you make some for me?
The post is a beauty.
OMG the last picture made me cry a little. im SO HUNGRY. it looks so delicious.photos are really really awesome, they are motivating me to leave a comment and go buy apple pie. HAHA.
Wow, fantastic post.
Do you shoot in a studio?
Also – how did you suspend the spice shaker in mid-air in the last photo?
Yes I used invisible thread.
you are seriously amazing! envy envy envy envy
Never knew an apple could look so beautiful – and the napoleon!! Even more divine.
Your photography just keeps getting better with every post. The use of smoke or fog is a great touch and really unexpected for food presentation. What did you use to create that effect?
a fog machine. http://www.amazon.com/American-DJ-Machine-Remote-Juice/dp/B0002E3L50/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&s=musical-instruments&qid=1268782290&sr=8-3
amazing pics!
http://www.danishaz.blogspot.com
Man, you are as good as a chef can be.
Beautiful pictures. The dedication you put into your posts and blog in general are amazing! Do you ever feel lazy about concerning all the work you put into these posts? Where do you get ur motivation?
I don’t know that I need to be motivated to do this. I genuinely enjoy taking photographs/experimenting with how to take pictures and with food so it comes naturally. It takes A LOT of motivation to make clothes I won’t deny that, a lot more than it does to make food so for fashion posts I am always struggling to finish them. Thanks for your comment.
I’m still at a loss for words…….YES, ……ENVY!!!
My granny makes a killer napoleon, I gotta show her this!
Perfection, as always.
I too am fearless with phyllo. So many are not. But we know how it just takes a certain knack and the results are oh-so-impressive.
Have you ever seen phyllo made by hand? That does scare me.
the apples look GORGEOUS against that black background!
i’d totally eat this with devon cream.
Thanks for noticing!
I love seeing your take on simple dishes and the stunning photography. My mum used to make this all the time as our dessert using apples and often pears too. Did you use toffee caramel (melted sugar) or something special?
Photographically speaking, this has been my favourite post of yours so far.
Nope just caramel. Thanks for your comment, I think the black is a nice change for food… My mom made a version of this, she’d just put apples inside a casserole dish and put phyllo dough on top…Kinda like apple pie with a different crust.
you are fantastic.
visually alone, this is breathtaking
Amazing. Now you make me want to go and eat some apples.
Absolutely incredible! I have never worked with ‘phylo’ before (here in Oz we call it ‘filo pastry’), LOVE Napoleans, but have never tried an apple one! Must do so!
xx
This is really genius–it looks like you had a lot of fun in the process.
Please come to my house and be my: cook, stylist, clothes maker, and lover. <3
I love this site so much.
Incredible, as always! You have SUCH a knack for making the ordinary extraordinary, and I’m constantly pushing “refresh” on my computer to see if you’ve made an update. Keep it up- for every person who comments about how lovely and wonderful you are there are probably hundreds who are too lazy to!
I am blown away and so honored that you take the time and not only enjoy the craft of cooking but the craft of photography and inspiration. Thank you for sharing your gift! I bet they tasted unreal!
i LOVE the visual of the phyllo hanging from clothespins! This is really beautiful.
My stomach grumbled furiously after i read that post.
That looks sooo yummm! Wonderful, wonderful, wonderful!
flashfashfash.blogspot.com
The photos in this posts are exquisite, I was one of those people who just already knew you to be “amazing” but this post, even though it is far less elaborate than many, floors me. The macabre and 1980s graveyard horror flick fog and lighting and theme with that knife poking up… it does a lot for me and it’s so sinister and delicious looking.
I never thought of “apple” napoleon, so simple yet so brilliant. You never run out of crazy ideas!
I wish and really really hope that one day you’d have some sort of exhibit at MoMA!!! Clothes, food, shoes, underwear, all pure Luxirare!! Aah, that would be so awesome.
I want to eat that! Hook me up!
*sigh* Looks like it’s time for me to break out the mandolin.
Holy crap you just made my night.
The last photo is UNBELIEVABLE!! I know that I’ve told you how I feel about you, but this is one of those posts that makes me love you all over again!!
oxoxox
YUMMY POST.
EXCELLENT PHOTOGRAPHY;
WHICH IS INSPIRE ME TO TRY TO MAKE THIS BEAUTIFUL DESSERT.
HAH! IS THE CINNAMON MAGICALLY BEING POURED
FROM THAT SIEVE/SIFTER BALL?
LOVE THAT FINAL PHOTOGRAPH!
I TOTALLY AGREE WITH ROSA [ 03/16/2010 • 7:57 pm ] THAT YOU PUT A LOT OF DEDIICATION INTO YOUR POST, BUT AS YOU RESPONDED HER WHEN YOU ENJOY DOING SOMETHING THE MOTIVATION LIES ON THE FINAL PRODUCT/PROJECT EVEN IF YOU FIND YOURSELF STRUGGLING IN THE PROCESS. THAT IS ADMIRABLE; SOME OF US MIGHT AS WELL QUIT IN THE PROCESS…
DID THE APPLE TURNED MOIST OR DRY?
I am always impressed with your lovely photography, but this really caught my eye and made me go “WOW”
Thanks for the beautiful inspiration, I love thinking of food as art and this is a stunning reminder why! So cool.
It looks amazingly tasty! I love apple napoleons and I love phyllo but I’ve never tried to combine them. Thanks for good idea to use phyillo instead of usual dough!
And now I can’t wait for lunch!
still rockin ma world…
This is great! I missed the food posts lately. This one seems simple enough to try tonight at home. I’ve done it with a different dough to create apple mille-feuille, but haven’t tried it with fillo paste
Where did you get the perfect-sized boxes? And named, too! The aesthetics make it that much more appealing. Kudos!
wow
speechless
you almost made me salivate, is that your main aim?!!
great pictures so huge couldnt perfectly fit in my screen and totally gorgeous
Simple and lovely. Your photography and styling on this post are incredible. xo
The second and last pictures are especially amazing! And the one with the phyllo dough hanging on clothespins.
This reminds me of a wonderful apple dumpling recipe my mom used to make me as a child; fantastic as always!
xo Michelle
Totally thought the first photo was an illustration, really beautiful. And I think apples make for the absolute BEST desserts. Apple crisp is my personal favorite, but I’m definitely going to try this. Squeezing lemon juice on the apples adds a nice flavor as well.
I currently don’t have the means and space to invest on stuff to make my photography look so good. But you sure are an inspiration on how to do it right. Thanks a ton for opening my eyes to ideas.
You are perfection! That looks INCREDIBLY DEEEEEEEEELICIOUS!!
MMM MMM. I want to go and make this right now.
All the food I’ve eaten today hasn’t been very nice. I had pasta for dinner that was bland and boring, and there’s nothing nice in my home to eat right now. The above post has made me even more hungry than I already was! Looks delicious.
I’m sure I’m not the first to say this, but you so should do a book! I am delighted by your site every time I visit- you have a fantastic visual talent, and I’m so glad you share it on this blog. I can’t tell you how many people have heard me squeal about how wonderful your site is. Great work!
i’m loving the mood of this post. LOve the black against the green. its a nice change that works, and i’m loving ur photopraphy and HUGe piks. it’s simple to make but the way u styled it is great. i really love the first pik. would make a great print
OMG. THEY LOOK SO GOOD 8D
how do you even manage to stay skinny while indulging in such sinful food all the time. hur hur
Hmm. interesting!
i love how you take a close up photos!
Suggestion: try sprinkling a bit of cardamom on the apples, too. Also, am sure you are familiar with this site, but if not, check out Michael Laiskonis’ blogs, he has some ideas I saw that I immediately thought that you could really run with.
Very nice post.
Merci.
it looks absolutely delicious!! it’s funny…in Portugal we have a cake with that exact name. it’s called Napoleon and it’s made also with phyllo. only that in the middle we put a cream made with eggs and sugar. love it!:)
i’m so hungry you dont even understand. and then i see this. i feel like it would make for a perfect breakfast right now. the first image with the apples, kind of spooky, a little bit haunting, and sort of romantic. isn’t it funny what a little fog can do?
I made baked apples last night and they SURE didn’t look this yummy – you style food so beautifully – where do you get the little packs labeled “apples” and “filo”, they are fab.
Your work is amazing, it s always a pleasure to see a new post!
Did you use a tripod to take the pictures or did you take them holding the camera?
Thanks!
Amazing photos as always love. I just got a fabulous vintage brown leather. Stop by and let me know what you think. Have a nice day and I look forward hearing from you. xoxo Nini
Absolutely stunning photos. Love the black background and the fog.
What lens did you use for these?
Absolutely fabulous. Photos, food, fog presentation, recipe… you’re work should be all over. Have you ever seen Bloom by Edelkoort Inc..? Your work is that caliber to me. You are so inspiring. Thank you.
The pictures in this post is absolutely amazing. Even my brother called it art.
DEAR GOD! Just when I thought you could not get more amazing…
i’m salivating.
Exquisite!
I had no idea Americans called filo pastry Phyllo dough, I didn’t even know it was a variant spelling. I learn more here each time I visit.
I’d love to take a bit out of one of those nice green apples, not to mention polishing off that yummy dessert.
i will never understand how you have the resource to take pictures like these! please tell
Bravo. Simple but so elegant. Again, I take my proverbial hat off to you, Luxirare.
very lovely!
I came across your fascinating site by chance. Your photos are SERIOUSLY DELICIOUS!
Love the ‘tea bag’ sieve used. I thought I was the only person on earth who had used one for dusting (when i couldn’t find the real one!).
pretty much every single one of your posts take my breath away, whether it’s one of your fantastic creations or just the photography…for instance, i don’t think i’ve ever seen green apples look this amazing.
-emilyviveur
how many actual napoleons did you make?
I have been obsessed with your blog for a long time now. I love your attention to detail and presentation. Where do you get your packaging from? or do you make it yourself? you often remind me of a young female Heston Blumenthal, always so slick and innovative.
These photos are GORGEOUS! I love how you shot everything against a black background— you usually see food photography done against white . . .
Great tip about the butter spray for the filo dough! One of the things on my Life List is to make a Luxirare recipe. This one might be it!
incredibly creative. I am impressed. Bravo!
that looks amazing
http://thetruantstrunk.blogspot.com/
Beautiful photography -as usual!
Creative and they look oh so yummy.
im totally in love with your photography. Congratulationns for such a great job
Beautiful!
FOODGASM!!
LOL
great post as usual!
You are the most amazing person ever! I have never seen someone so creative in so many ways. Seriously, post some of your ugly stuff cuz I really don’t believe you are capable of coming up with anything ugly.
I am in awe of your creativity and your talent. I don’t know why the whole world doesn’t know you are out here. You should be on the Today show or something, IDK, do your own show!
Thank you for letting us share!
Tonya, Nashivlle, TN, USA
your photos are amazing.