Make an Apple Swan

Decorative items on a dining room table can accent a meal and contribute to a chic and sophisticated atmosphere. An apple swan is an edible decoration that's relatively easy to create with just an apple and a knife. By following the correct procedures and adding your own creative flair, you can create an apple swan that will impress dinner guests.

Steps

Creating the Body

  1. Purchase a large apple. Purchase an apple that stands up straight from the grocery store or farmer's market. You can get any variety of apple, but make sure that it is as large as possible because it will make it easier to create your swan decoration.[1]
  2. Cut through the center of the apple at a slight angle. Stand the apple upright and use a sharp knife to cut through the core of the apple at a slight angle. Cut it by placing your knife 1/4 of an inch (0.635 cm) away from the middle of the apple, and make a long vertical cut down the center. Make sure to go through the core itself. Remove the exposed seeds with the pointed end of your knife and set them aside for later.[2]
    • The two seeds will be used as eyes later on.
  3. Place two butter knives on both sides of the apple. Take the larger side that has the base and top of the apple and place it flat on the cutting board. Place two butter knives perpendicularly at the base and the top of the apple. These knives will act as bumpers and prevent you from cutting through the entire apple.[2]
  4. Make a vertical cut 1/2 of an inch (1.27 cm) to the right of the apple core. Use a knife and make a vertical cut until your cutting knife hits the butter knives that you placed as a bumper.
  5. Make a horizontal slice to cut out a wedge from the apple. Use the knives as a guide again and make a horizontal cut until you reach the other cut that you just made. The piece of apple that falls out should look like a wedge.[3]
  6. Cut out a wedge on the other side of the apple. Repeat the last two steps on the other side of the apple. This should make it so that your apple now has two wedges cut out of both sides with a thin body in the center of the apple.

Making the Wings

  1. Lay two knives on both sides of your apple wedge. Set your apple wedge on its flat end between two knives. The knives should be at the top and bottom of your apple wedge.
  2. Make a quarter of an inch (0.635 cm) vertical cut through the wedge. Make another vertical cut a quarter of an inch (0.635 cm) from the flat side of the wedge of apple. Continue to cut until the butter knives stop you.[4]
  3. Flip your wedge over and make another vertical cut. Instead of making a horizontal cut and risk cutting yourself, flip your apple on its other flat side and create another vertical cut. This should cut out another, smaller wedge of apple from the larger wedge that you cut.
  4. Repeat the process two more times on the smaller apple wedges. Set the smaller piece of apple between the butter knives and create another wedge out of it. Out of your smaller wedge, repeat the process until you have three or more different sized wedges. These will act as the different layers of your swan's wings.[2]
  5. Stagger your pieces of apple to create wings on the body. Push out the wedges of apple so that they are staggered and appear like wings. Each wedge should show a little bit of the wedge under it to create a wing-like effect.[3]
  6. Cut another wing out of your other apple wedge. Repeat the steps using the other large apple wedge that you had cut out of the other side of the apple. Continue repeating the steps until you have two staggered wings.

Making the Head

  1. Cut a half inch slot (1.27 cm) out of the middle of the body. Use a small knife to cut out a small half inch (1.27 cm) wide rectangle. The cut can be about 3/4-inch (1.905 cm)deep.[5]
  2. Cut a slice of apple out of the remaining side of your apple. Set two knives next to the other half of your apple and make a full horizontal cut through the bottom of the apple. This should create a thin slice of the apple that you can use for your swans head and resembles a heart.
  3. Take the slice of apple and make two diagonal cuts to form a V. Take the flat slice that you just cut and make two diagonal cuts near the top right of the slice of apple. This will start to form the head. Try to visualize what a swan's head looks like, or use reference photos from the web so that you can create the best swan head and neck.
  4. Make one straight cut on the bottom for the base. Finish your swan's head by making one final cut on the side of the apple slice, below the V that you just cut out. You can make other cuts and refine the look of the swan's head as well. Round off harder angles with a small knife around areas like its neck and head to give it a more realistic look.[1]
  5. Press the apple seeds where the eyes should go. Take the apple seeds that you set aside and put them into where the eyes should go on your swan's head. Use a butter knife to press them into the pulp of the apple, so they stick.[4]
  6. Drop the neck into the slot that you created. Take the swan head that you created and place it into the rectangular slot that you made earlier. If you're having trouble keeping the swan's head in the notch that you cut out, you may have to cut a little bit deeper to accommodate the size of the neck.



Things You'll Need

  • Sharp knife
  • Two butter knives
  • Cutting board
  • Apple

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Sources and Citations

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 https://ww2.kqed.org/jpepinheart/2015/08/17/jacques-pepin-shows-you-how-to-make-an-apple-swan/
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 http://www.goodshomedesign.com/edible-apple-swan-video/
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 https://snapguide.com/guides/make-an-apple-swan/
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 http://makezine.com/2013/11/15/how-to-make-an-edible-apple-swan/
  5. ↑ http://easyfooddecoration.com/unique-food-garnishing-apple-swan/

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