Thursday, September 18, 2008

Barefoot Bloggers: Apple Turnovers

This week's "bonus" Barefoot Bloggers recipe for Apple Turnovers was selected by one of my favorite food bloggers, Anne Strawberry. I had no doubt that Anne would choose a great one for us, and oh my, did she ever!

The recipe says to start with frozen puff pastry. I was not familiar with "frozen puff pastry," because I usually make my own puff pastry from scratch [insert canned laugh track here]. I could not find frozen puff pastry at Publix. I tried to flit back and forth between the refrigerated dough section and the frozen dough section to search for it, but it is hard to "flit" when you are pushing around one of these behemoths:
I finally decided that I must have been confused, and maybe what I really needed was frozen pie crusts, like the kind I used to buy before becoming an online baker and discovering Dorie Greenspan's superb pie crust recipe.

Anyway, I finally gave up on the frozen puff pastry and returned home with frozen pie crusts, but then did what I should have done to begin with and sat down at the computer and googled "frozen puff pastry," and voila! I found exactly what I needed, with an accompanying picture, no less. Going to the grocery store more than once a day makes me cranky, and you know what they say: "if mama ain't happy ain't nobody happy," so I sent David back to Publix, armed with a photograph of Pepperidge Farm Frozen Puff Pastry Sheets. My favorite hunter/gatherer returned shortly with the aforementioned frozen puff pastry sheets.

And that was the hardest part of making these turnovers.

Other than that, it was just a matter of mixing together a few cut up apples, some orange juice and grated orange rind, dried cherries, and a few spices. I left out the nutmeg, because I never regret the nutmeg I don't use, but I sometimes regret the nutmeg I do use. Unroll the puff pastry, scoop in some of the fruit mixture, brush edges of pastry with egg, fold into triangle, and brush the top of the pastry with egg. Sprinkle the top with sugar (I added a little cinnamon too). And stick it in the oven. That's it. It would have taken me longer to find the Oreos behind all the cereal boxes in my pantry.

Ready to go into the oven:


The result is a superb dessert, special enough to serve to your fancy friends, yet homey enough (and easy enough) to make for your nearest and dearest on any old weeknight. I served this with vanilla ice cream, as that somehow seemed like a necessity. David and I both loved it (and David liked it cold the next day, too). The kids didn't like it, of course, but then their idea of a great dessert is gummy bears on chocolate ice cream, so I tend to discount what they think.

The finished product:


NOTE TO MY REAL LIFE FAMILY AND FRIENDS: The question is not "whether" I will serve you these apple turnovers, it is: will I serve them so often that you start saying "No, wait, let me guess! Apple turnovers for dessert?" as soon as you arrive on our doorstep? I hope you don't get sick of them, but I doubt you will. Thank you, Anne, for picking a dessert that I will make over and over (and over) again!

APPLE TURNOVERS


1 teaspoon grated orange zest
3 tablespoons freshly squeezed orange juice
1 1/4 pounds tart apples, such as Empire or Granny Smith (3 apples)
3 tablespoons dried cherries
3 tablespoons sugar, plus extra to sprinkle on top
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
Pinch kosher salt
1 package (17.3 ounces, 2 sheets) frozen puff pastry, defrosted
1 egg beaten with 1 tablespoon water, for egg wash

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
Combine the orange zest and orange juice in a bowl. Peel, quarter, and core the apples and then cut them in 3/4-inch dice. Immediately toss the apples with the zest and juice to prevent them from turning brown. Add the cherries, sugar, flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt.

Flour a board and lightly roll each sheet of puff pastry to a 12 by 12-inch square. Cut each sheet into 4 smaller squares and keep chilled until ready to use.

Brush the edges of each square with the egg wash and neatly place about 1/3 cup of the apple mixture on half of the square. Fold the pastry diagonally over the apple mixture and seal by pressing the edges with a fork. Transfer to a sheet pan lined with parchment paper. Brush the top with egg wash, sprinkle with sugar, make 2 small slits, and bake for 20 minutes, until browned and puffed. Serve warm or at room temperature.

19 comments:

Suzie said...

Great post. I agree it was a recipe that will get used and used and used in my house. What a cutie in your trolley!

Tami said...

They look spectacular!

Andrea at Nummy Kitchen said...

Your apple turnovers look delicious! I love the pairing with vanilla ice cream -- but you did make me feel kind of guilty, here you are serving these as a dessert after you've fed your family a healthy hearty meal, and I went ahead and served these, as breakfast! Oh-well. I can totally relate to pushing those shopping carts that attempt to restrain the giant toddler/preschool crowd while also giving you ample space for groceries :) How did our parents ever survive without them?

Laura said...

Well, shoot. Somehow I've already messed this barefoot bloggers thing up. I read about the bonus recipe, but didn't make the connection in my oh-so-clouded brain that it was to made and posted today - ugh! Yours look fabulous and makes me wish I was coming over someday (or maybe many days if you're going to serve those frequently) so I could have me some! Guess I'll just have to make my own :-)

Prudy said...

How I wish I had made these. I even have everything, inlcuding the elusive puff pastry. I suppose there is still hope for me yet. Maybe this weekend. I must do it after your glowing report. Your little girl in that shopping cart is so cute. I love her little Lucy Pevensie hair cut and her big bow.

Anne said...

I'm so glad you liked them Cathy! Thank you for the sweet things you said. I died laughing about the puff pastry from scratch but when you showed the picture of the grocery cart, it was just too much. My son just discovered that cart and is just upset if it is missing when we walk in the door (and they only have one that squeaks and wobbles so bad you can hear it from anywhere in the store!) Great job- I'm so glad you liked it!

Anne said...

And I forget to say (aren't I chatty today, sorry) I feel EXACTLY the same way about the nutmeg!

Meryl said...

It was so lovely and easy wasn't it? I kind of want one right now!

Peggy said...

Cathy I'm worried you are getting way into this food thing. Is it keeping you up at night yet? I want to make these. I'm new to this group and I must be lame because I didn't realize I was supposed to make and blog about them today. It is Thursday.
Your constant search for these ingredients is cracking me up!

Maria said...

Looks like a winner to me! What a yummy dessert.

NKP said...

You have a good man. It is nice to have a hunter/gatherer in the house.
The only thing better than apple turnovers is apple turnovers with ice cream. :)

Christine said...

I so agree going to the supermarket more then you have to makes me cranky too! Great post and your turnovers look delicious!

Deb in Hawaii said...

Yours look perfect! i put the littlest pinch of nutmeg I could in there--I have similar nutmeg feelings. ;-)

Pamela said...

I am always getting stuck pushing those giant carts, too. The boys love them! The turnovers look very, very good!!

Anonymous said...

Oh, I'm so glad you liked them! Don't you love sending husband's to the store? I once sent mine with a list... along side each item (in order of the store) I wrote where he could find it. Men are funny!
~Cat
Oh, and your daughter is gorgeous!

webbie said...

Welcome to the Barefoot Bloggers! I have a love affair with Publix. I used to live around the corner from one and now I have to go after work (and that is always special!) So I usually wind up at Kroger.

I'm glad you finally found the puff pastry. You will be amazed at the wonderful things you can use it for.

Your turnovers look great, as does you little precious in the buggy.

Summer said...

Wow, they look delicious. You had me going for a second thinking you made your own puff pastry. Too funny.

Anonymous said...

Oh, those sound so good and so easy. I've been debating joining the Barefoot Bloggers and I may now have to! I do love Ina and can't wait for the new season.

FWIW, I've never bought frozen puff pastry. I'm kinda scared of it. Although I do see it at Trader Joe's every week and debate buying it to make *something*.

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