Apple Turnovers

These apple turnovers are a classic way to use puff pastry. It's like a French version of America's traditional apple pie. Or perhaps the Americans borrowed their national dessert from the French, who knows? Either way, this is a delicious snack, dessert, or even breakfast treat. The flaky layers of puff pastry are folded over a cooked apple filling, much like a compote. It's not too sweet and not too big, making it the perfect indulgence. 

Tania
10 turnovers

I was glad that this pastry could be made in parts. I made the puff pastry last week and froze it, then made the apple filling the day before I finished the assembly and baking. That meant on baking day, I only spent a little bit of time in the kitchen. 

The apple filling was easy enough to make. I used Braeburn apples, as requested in the book. I cooked them in my dutch oven, for about 40 minutes, breaking them apart and stirring every so often. This would work well with pears too. I set the covered pot in the fridge overnight.

The next day I rolled out the puff pastry that I had thawed, and cut out the rounds. I didn't have a fluted cutter, just a plain round one. I got 10 rounds from the pastry. I'm not sure what to do with the scraps, the book just says "reserve for another use". I rolled them into ovals, filled them and sealed them. The only tricky part about making these is keeping them properly chilled. Otherwise the dough won't puff properly in the oven. 

They baked up just beautifully, big and puffy and golden brown. The double egg wash had a lot to do with that. I let them cool, but that was so hard! They smelled so good and I could see the steam escaping from the vents in the pastry. 

The turnovers were so tasty, not too sweet and just the right size. I could have eaten 4! I bet they're even better still warm from the oven. Or served with a scoop of vanilla bean ice cream or a dollop of fresh whipped cream. I can imagine eating them in a tiny Parisian bistro with a café au lait.