The most beautiful thing you can make with a potato!
These gorgeous potato roses add a simple touch of glamour to any plate.
These have to be among the most beautiful things I’ve ever made, and I’m 100% sure they’re the most beautiful thing I’ve ever created using potatoes!
They were almost too gorgeous to eat. Big edible blossoms adorning our plates. Even my daughter Kipper thought they looked, “Soooo pretty, Mummy!”
From apple roses to potato roses
A while ago the internet seemed to be awash with videos showing how to make apple roses. You basically overlap slices of cooked apple on a strip of puff pastry dough and roll them up. When they’re baked, the pastry crisps up and the apple slices form a rose shape. Ta da!
Maybe I’m a bit <ahem> focussed on delicious potatoey carbs, but I saw those videos and wondered how to make roses out of potatoes instead of apples.
Am I the only one? Surely not! Well, anyway, I’ve done the working out part so now all you have to do is follow the instructions and you can make gorgeous potato roses of your own!
Pommes de terre
These potato roses are based on the original apple roses, only made of potato (obviously). Fortunately both apples and potatoes have similar textures – the French don’t call potatoes pommes de terre (“apples of earth”) for nothing you know! Both apples and potatoes can be used to achieve beautiful floral results.
And they really are beautiful. Take a look.
All about that base
Making the ‘rose’ part was simple enough. However I was worried that the petals would fall apart when baked without having some kind of base to hold them together.
To address this potential problem, I decided to embed the roses in a dollop of egg-enriched mashed potato to give them some stability. Even with the stabilising base they are still quite fragile, so I’m confident that attempting them without it would be a disaster!
Aren’t they gorgeous though? Just have another look at them. Fresh from the oven.
Take your time
The potato roses are a bit fiddly to make, but if I can do it then I’m sure you can too! Just make sure you have plenty of time, and that you slice the potatoes extremely thinly. I sliced my potatoes in the food processor, but you could also use a mandolin to get really thin slices.
If you have great slicing skills and a very sharp knife, you could even do this by hand. Just be careful of your fingers, and make your slices as even as possible. You don’t want wonky petals after all!
Whichever method you use, make sure the potato slices are no more than 2-3mm (approx. ⅛ inch) thick, or they will be very difficult to roll up and may crack or break, which spoils the effect.
The importance of size
I used red skinned potatoes, which looked lovely when the potato roses were raw, but I’m not sure you could tell the difference once they were cooked. More important is the size of your potatoes.
The potatoes should be smallish, otherwise the ‘rose petals’ will be too large. Choose spuds that are about 5-6cm (2-2½ inches) across for the best results.
How to make crispy potato roses – step by step
1. Overlap thin slices of oiled and seasoned potato.
2. Carefully roll up the slices to create the rose.
3. Press the roll of slices into a prepared muffin tin (see recipe).
4. Bake until crispy!
Potato roses – serving size
I made 10 potato roses, which was plenty for the three of us. As a guide, aim for 2-3 potato roses per person.
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📖 Recipe
Potato roses
Ingredients
- 400 g floury potatoes, to mash
- 1 egg yolk
- 550 g small potatoes for the rose petals
- 3 tablespoon olive oil + a little extra for oiling the tin
- Pinch of salt and pepper, to taste
Instructions
- 400 g (14 oz) floury potatoes, to mashPeel the potatoes for mashing. Cut into small dice, rinse and place in a saucepan, and cover with cold water. Bring to the boil and simmer for 15-20 minutes until soft.
- 1 egg yolkDrain well, and mash thoroughly. Allow to cool for a few minutes, then add the egg yolk and mix well. Set aside.
- 550 g (19½ oz) small potatoes for the rose petalsMeanwhile, scrub the small potatoes thoroughly and slice thinly. The slices should be no more than 2-3 mm (approx. ⅛ inch) thick.
- 3 tablespoon olive oil, Pinch of salt and pepper, to tastePlace the potato slices into a bowl with the olive oil, salt and pepper and mix thoroughly so that all the slices are coated in the oil.
- Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F).
- Brush the inside of each of 10 holes in a 12-hole muffin tin with oil. Divide the mashed potato between the oiled holes.
- Now, lay out about 10 slices of potato in a row, overlapping the slices. Start at one end and carefully roll them up, then push the rolled up sliced into the mashed potato in one of the holes. If necessary, arrange a few more slices around the edge to finish the ‘rose’.
- Repeat with the remaining slices to make 9 more roses.
- Bake at 180°C (350°F) for around 45 minutes until cooked, golden and crispy. Serve at once!
Notes
Nutrition
More Romantic recipes
If you’re making these delicious crispy potato roses as part of a romantic meal, you might also like these recipes
- Love apple soup with cheesy toast hearts
- Sahlab – a delicious ancient aphrodisiac
- Nutella shortbread hearts – an easy bake with only 3 ingredients
Jack
How do you get the potatoes soft enough to roll up? I tried tonight with red potatoes and they are just too stiff.
Helen
Hi Jack. You need to slice them very thinly. If they still won’t roll, try microwaving them for a few minutes in a bowl of water to soften. I hope this helps! All the best, Helen x.
Mina
Late to the party but I will make these for our Christmas pot luck. I may try to tint the mash green. Thanks for doing all the footwork for us!
Rose
What is meant by “flour potatoes”?
Helen
Floury potatoes have a soft, dry texture when cooked, and are typically used for mashing, baking etc. They differ from ‘waxy’ potatoes which are better for boiling, potato salad etc. Some common varieties of floury potato (here in the UK, anyway) include King Edward, Maris Piper and Estima.
I hope this helps. All the best, Helen.
Jo Keohane
These sound – and look amazing. So clever since all that edge turns super crispy.
Helen
Thanks Jo! The crispy edges are the best!
Andrea
I definitely want to try these, but I’m worried I’ll ruin the flowers removing them from the muffin tin. What do you think about baking them in muffin cups?
Helen
Hi Andrea. The mashed potato base holds the flowers together – I’ve never had any trouble getting them out of the tin. When you say muffin cups, I assume you mean paper muffin cases? TBH, I’m not sure how it would work – the only way to find out is to have a go! Good luck, and please do come back and let me know how they turned out if you try it. Helen x.
Gina
This is such a stunning side dish that always leave people impressed! Perfect for a Valentine’s Day dinner and very tasty too!
Helen
Thanks Gina! I agree – it’s a great side dish for a romantic dinner.
Jessica Stroup
These are so elegant and tasty! My kids loved eating these fancy potatoes!
Helen
Thanks Jessica. So happy to hear that your kids loved these as well.
Claudia Lamascolo
Made these twice now everyone was so impressed and made me feel so good about cooking they were so easy!
Helen
That’s great Claudia! I love recipes that are easy to make but give great results.
Toni
This was a really huge hit with my family! They really enjoyed it! Thanks!
Helen
So glad to hear you all enjoyed these potatoes 🙂
Toni
I loved it!! SO pretty and really delicious! Thankyou!
Helen
Thanks Toni! So glad you enjoyed them
Savita
These potato roses sound so amazing, great idea.
Helen
Thanks Savita! We all really love them.
Marlene Wilkins
Recipe will start the family chatting so thank you. Will try them soon I hope. M
Helen
Thanks Marlene – I hope you have some good conversations!
Boradeth Som
Should I soak potatoes in cold water before using?
Helen
There is no need to soak the potatoes, but if you usually do this there is no reason not to, either.
Boradeth som
Another question: can I use yukon potatoes for the base mashed potatoes?
Helen
You can use Yukon potatoes but something starchy like a russet potato would be best. Hope this helps!
Boradeth Som
Does the mashed potato fall apart after getting it out of the muffin tin?
Helen
No, the mashed potato forms a ‘base’ for the rose and holds the whole thing together.
Anita Faulkner - Brazen Mummy Writes
Wow, you are an absolute star! Those look amazing – will have to give them a try. Thank you for the inspiration. (Via Blogging Mums Club) x
Helen
Thanks Anita! I really hope you enjoy them 🙂
Anita Wold
They look absolutely stunning! I love to do fiddle things like this. I’ve got them in the oven now and hoping to cook them partly and then reheat them for dinner tonight. Did you put yours in mashed potatoes? I didn’t and shaped them as I was going along, petal by petal. Hope they turn out. what would be your suggestion to reheat them.
Anita
Thnaks
Helen
Hi Anita. I hope you enjoyed them! You can reheat them in a moderate oven – cover with foil if they are getting too brown. All the best, Helen.
Simcha
Thanks for the tutorial. I have it a try yesterday, I used your recipe as inspiration rather than following to the T. I didn’t measure anything, but just used about the same number of potatoes for boiling and slicing. Mashed the potato with low fat mayo and a whole egg. I sliced the potato by hand as I don’t have a food processor or mandolin and you really have to cut them finely don’t you?! The slightly thicker ones didn’t work as well and I couldn’t get them to roll up as such. I just overlapped them in layers. Here’s my attempt.
https://slimmingbsimcha.wordpress.com/2017/05/29/day-243-shavuos-is-coming-nearer-and-nearer/
Suffice it to say, it was one of the most fiddly pieces of cooking I’ve ever done, but they look and taste incredible.
I tried one and put the rest in the freezer for serving on Shavuos.
Thank you for the inspiration and for enhancing the beauty of my Yom Tov table.
Good Yom Tov,
Simcha
Helen
Hi Simcha, I’m so happy you made them and like them! Yes, they are a complete faff, but once in a while they’re worth it. Chag shavuot sameach! Helen x.
Anne-Marie
How easily do they come out?
Helen
Pretty easily. Brush the tray with a little oil before making them if you’re worried ?
Marlene
Thank you!!! I will love to try & make these!
Helen
Thanks Marlene – I hope you enjoy them!
Sylvia Klassen
Can these be made ahead of time, maybe bake partially, freeze and then use them at a later date? Thinking this would be fun to have for thanksgiving but we usually have it at the cottage so want to do as much ahead of time as possible. Awesome recipe. Thanks.
Helen
Hi Sylvia. I’ve never tried making these ahead and freezing them, so I don’t know if it would work or not. I think it should be OK, but you might want to try a small batch in advance and see how it works. Please let me know if you do! Thanks and all the best, Helen.
Cayla Biderman
I just saw this recipe and was considering making them for Pesach. Can I make them earlier in the day and reheat?
Helen
I’ve never tried reheating them but I think it should be OK. Maybe just tent them with foil so they heat up but don’t get too brown? Let me know how it goes if you decide to try it!
KArin Elder
These are georgous. Can I assembled day in advance for a fancy dinner party?
Helen
Hi Karin, I’ve never made them in advance. I think you would have to cook them fully, otherwise the potato slices might go brown. Then just reheat for a few minutes in a hot oven to crisp them up again. Good luck! Thanks and all the best, Helen.
Marlene Waiser
Just saw your name and had to say hi and that I wondered the same thIng you did. They look fantastic!
Helen Needham
can’t wait to try this out.
Kate Orson
yummy, these look delcious, I wonder if they would entice my four year old to eat potatoes. She loves chips but always refuses potatoes for some reason!! Maybe I could tell them they’re flower chips!
Claire
LOL my Dad got me to love Brussel sprouts as a small child by telling me they are fairy cabbages!
Helen
Ha! Brilliant!
Amy Jo McLellan
I love these! They look so great 🙂
knattster
The step by step instructions look very easy to follow. I love crisp potato like that – will definitely be giving them a try.
Helen
Thanks! Glad you found the instructions helpful. They do come out lovely and crispy 🙂
Nayna Kanabar (@citrusspiceuk)
Wow these are so very pretty what a wonderful and artistic way to serve potatoes.
Helen
Thanks Nayna. I’d never had thought of them as artistic!
choclette
Wow Helen, those roses are stunning. How very clever of you. Doing anything fiddly is not my strong point, but I do admire those who have more patience than I.
Helen
Thanks Choclette 🙂
I’m not usually very good at fiddly but these were OK once you got started. And easy to see where your effort went!
Anita-Clare Field
Wow, what a stunning recipe. They’d make the most exquisite centre piece for any dish. Fabulous.
Helen
Thanks Anita. They really are beautiful.
marilyn pekofsky
Your recipe for the potato roses are exquisite. I will try making them for my family this week and if successful, for company at next week end. I think I will sprinkle a little paprika on top after baking for a bit of color. Thank you and a very happy Passover.
Helen
Thanks Marilyn. I hope you enjoy them. Happy Passover to you, too!
Kevin Chambers-Paston
Oh Helen, these roses are beautiful! Would be perfect for a dinner party… I’m going to make them 🙂 I’ve Yum’d this too 😀
Helen
Thanks Kevin!