Recently I discovered some apples hiding out in our fridge and decided their time had come to be put to delicious use. I didn’t feel like making a typical apple pie for some reason but I still wanted to bake something with them. And you know how it is… once you decide you want “apple” baked goods, well, nothing else will do. In the end, I decided on apple turnovers and they were a whole lot easier (and faster!) than making apple pie. Just look are those delicate flakey layers! These turnovers are big and puffy… but not from air – au cointraire! They’re simply bursting at the seams with brown sugar – cinnamony – apple euphoria!
This recipe is so easy and it comes together rather quickly. In large part that’s due to the use of frozen puff pastry. Sure you could make your own… and I have… but if you don’t want to or don’t know how to, I encourage you to feel absatively no shame in using frozen puff pastry! Life’s too short to worry about that kind of thing :) In the grocery store I find it in the frozen section near the berries and Cool-Whip. Seems to me, from what I’ve seen the most popular brand is Pepperidge Farms though I am certain there are others.
When it comes to apples, use whatcha like. Granny Smiths tend to hold their shape best unlike other varieties which cook down to almost mush. Don’t stress over the kind of apples – use whatcha have or whatcha like or buy Granny Smith apples. To spice things up, I like to use a combination of brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg and ginger. If you don’t like ginger or nutmeg feel free to omit them. If you don’t have sparkling sugar, omit it. If you’d rather not glaze the finished turnovers, eh, don’t bother. These are apple turnovers… simple, old-fashioned, comfort food – that’s it. Life is too short so if you’re going to stree over something, don’t let it be this recipe! LOL
Apple Turnovers
Ingredients
4 Granny Smith apples – peeled, cored and diced
2 tablespoons butter
1 cup brown sugar
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1 tablespoon water
1 (17.25 ounce) package frozen puff pastry sheets, thawed
*
1 egg lightly beaten with a small amount of water
Sparkling sugar (optional)
*
1 cup powdered sugar
1 tablespoon milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Directions
In a large skillet, melt the butter then add the diced apples. Cook and stir for about 2-3 minutes. Add brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg and ginger. Continue cooking and stirring for another 2-3 minutes. In a small bowl, stir together the cornstarch and water. Pour into the skillet, and mix well. Cook for another 1-2 minutes or until sauce has thickened. Remove from heat to cool slightly.
Preheat the oven to 375F
Unfold puff pastry sheets and trim each sheet into 4 square. Spoon between 1 and 2 measured tablespoons of apple filling onto the center of each squares. Fold each square from corner to corner to make a triangle shape then press edges together and crimp with fork to seal.
Place turnovers on a parchment or silpat lined baking sheet. Brush tops lightly with the egg wash then sprinkle with sparkling sugar.
Bake for about 20 minutes until the turnovers are puffed and slightly browned. Remove from oven and transfer to cooling rack.
Cool completely before glazing.
At this point the turnovers can be cut into halves or thirds using a sharp knife.
To make the glaze, combine the powdered sugar, milk and vanilla in a small bowl. Adjust the consistency by adding more powdered sugar or milk if necessary. Drizzle glaze over the cooled turnovers.
Have a delicious day!
