Apple Turnovers
Buttery and flaky apple turnovers are filling with a sweet and easy apple filling for a perfect Fall treat!
Happy first day of Fall! Can you believe that it is already fall? This means we will really have to start getting used to jackets and jeans, but it is also time for cute boots and sweaters. I am still a bit ambivalent about fall coming. While I look forward to cozy days and nights with things like apple cider donuts and pancakes, I am not looking forward to the very cold winds on campus. Our campus is basically a wind tunnel. It is awful when the day would otherwise be nice, but the piercing cold winds blow through and make you wish you had on four more layers.
However, having it be cooler outside does mean it feels more appropriate to bake. Then again, I always think it is appropriate for baking, but I may be a bit biased. It does mean that my friends and roommates are more likely to enjoy the baking though, because things like apple turnovers start coming out of the oven. I am very lucky to have three amazing roomies who also all happen to like apple baked goods, which is helpful because I still have a huge bag of apples to go through! Can you say #fallbaking? This coming week be prepared to see a bunch of delicious apple recipes as we truly embrace fall!
These turnovers received rave reviews. The pastry is amazingly flaky and buttery, and it bakes up to be a perfect golden brown color. The apple filling is fresh and homemade, and provides just the right amount of sweetness and apple for the rest of the pastry. This recipe makes 6 apple turnovers, and all of them were gone within 24 hours. You can have them as a snack, breakfast, dessert, or whatever! One of my roommates really enjoyed hers as a breakfast because it was just enough without being too large. When you make these, you will know what I mean.
This recipe is pretty straightforward, but I have included a lot of pictures to help you with the process. So read along as we bake up some delicious turnovers!
You are going to start by getting the dough together, and it does not have to be perfect here. You want it in a rectangle, large enough for you to fold in thirds like a letter. Once you fold it, starting with one of the shorter side, you are going to pat or roll the dough out to be ½ inch thick, and fold in thirds again. Shape the dough into a 6 x 6 inch square, wrap in plastic wrap, and store in the fridge for 30 minutes.
Once the 30 minutes is up, take out the dough and flour both sides of the dough as well as the surface you are working on. Roll the dough out to a 10 x 12 inch rectangle, and prepare to fold.
First, take one of the 10 inch sides and fold it down.
Bring the other 10 inch side up, to have the dough in thirds.
Roll the dough to widen it until it is 5 x 12 inches.
Fold the dough in thirds again, starting with one of the 5 inch sides. This rectangle should be about 4 x 5 inches. Wrap in plastic again and put the dough in the fridge for another 30 minutes.
While you are waiting for this time to go by, you can start on the apple filling. Peel, core, and dice 2 medium Granny Smith apples, and combine in a bowl with the other apple filling ingredients. When this is done, preheat the oven and get ready to work with the dough again. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Take out the dough after the 30 minutes and roll it into a 10 x 15 inch rectangle. Cut this rectangle into 6 even pieces.
Spread each piece with a scant ¼ cup of the apple filling. Although it is pictured below, try not to put any extra juices in with the apples. It leaks out a bit during folding and baking!
Fold the now filled turnovers up: First wet each edge of the dough to help it stick together. You can either fold them in half to make triangles, or you can bring all four corners up in the middle to make a square. Press the dough edges together to make them stick; turn the triangles on their sides and crimp the edges with a fork if desired. Use a fork to poke a few holes in each turnover- this lets steam escape and helps build those flaky layers!
Let the turnovers cool before eating, and then enjoy!
Brush each turnover with the egg wash and bake for 22-28 minutes, until the turnovers are golden brown.
Apple Turnovers
Ingredients:
Dough:
1 stick unsalted butter, frozen
1 cup all-purpose flour
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
¼ cup sour cream
4 tablespoons cold water
Flour, for dusting
Apple filling:
2 medium Granny Smith or other tart apples
2 ½ tablespoons white sugar
¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
½ tablespoon cornstarch
Pinch of salt
½ tablespoon apple cider or boiled cider
½ tablespoon lemon juice
1 egg white beaten with 1 tablespoon water, for glaze
Directions:
In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, salt, baking powder and cinnamon for the dough. Place this in the freezer while you prepare the butter.
Take the frozen stick of butter and using a food processor with a medium to large shredding disk or a coarse hole cheese grater, process or grate the stick of butter until it is in small flakes. If you are doing this by hand with the grater, dust the stick of butter and your fingertips in flour to help prevent slipping.
Take the dry ingredient bowl from the freezer and use your hands to add and coat the butter pieces in the flour mixture.
In a separate bowl, stir together the sour cream and water. Add this to the butter/flour mixture and use a rubber spatula or dough scraper to combine. When the dough starts to come together, you can put it on a floured surface and use your hands to finish patting the dough together. You want it in a rectangle, large enough for you to fold in thirds like a letter.
Once you fold it, starting with one of the shorter side, you are going to pat or roll the dough out to be ½ inch thick, and fold in thirds again. Shape the dough into a 6 x 6 inch square, wrap in plastic wrap, and store in the fridge for 30 minutes.
Once the 30 minutes is up, take out the dough and flour both sides of the dough as well as the surface you are working on. Roll the dough out to a 10 x 12 inch rectangle, and prepare to fold.
First, take one of the 10 inch sides and fold it down. Bring the other 10 inch side up, to have the dough in thirds.
Roll the dough to widen it until it is 5 x 12 inches. Fold the dough in thirds again, starting with one of the 5 inch sides. This rectangle should be about 4 x 5 inches. Wrap in plastic again and put the dough in the fridge for another 30 minutes.
While you are waiting for this time to go by, you can start on the apple filling. Peel, core, and dice 2 medium Granny Smith apples, and combine in a bowl with the other apple filling ingredients. When this is done, preheat the oven and get ready to work with the dough again. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Take out the dough after the 30 minutes and roll it into a 10 x 15 inch rectangle. Cut this rectangle into 6 even pieces.
Spread each piece with a scant ¼ cup of the apple filling. Although it is pictured below, try not to put any extra juices in with the apples. It leaks out a bit during folding and baking!
Fold the now filled turnovers up: First wet each edge of the dough to help it stick together. You can either fold them in half to make triangles, or you can bring all four corners up in the middle to make a square. Press the dough edges together to make them stick; turn the triangles on their sides and crimp the edges with a fork if desired. Use a fork to poke a few holes in each turnover- this lets steam escape and helps build those flaky layers!
Brush each turnover with the egg wash and bake for 22-28 minutes, until the turnovers are golden brown.
Let the turnovers cool before eating, and then enjoy!
*Recipe adapted from King Arthur Flour. Photographs are copyright Rooks to Cooks and may not be used without permission.
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Posted on 9/20/14 by Kiley