Apple Turnovers from Scratch
Ingredients
For the Rough Puff Pastry:
- 2 cups all-purpose flour (250 g)
- 2 teaspoons sugar
- 3/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 1/2 cup cold butter (340 g) cut in 1/2 inch cubes
- 5-6 tablespoons ice water
For the Apple Filling:
- 350 grams apples, peeled and chopped (about 3 cups) (about 4 small, 3 medium, or 2 large apples)
- 1/2 cup brown sugar (100 g)
- 1/2 cup water
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 tablespoons butter (29 g)
- 1 large pinch salt (about 1/16 teaspoon)
- 2 teaspoons cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
- 1/4 teaspoon ginger
- 1/4 teaspoon cardamom
- 1/4 teaspoon cloves
- 1/4 cup water (60 ml)
- 1 tablespoon + 1 teaspoon cornstarch
For the Egg Wash:
- 1 large egg, room temperature
- 1 tablespoon water
- coarse sugar
For the Vanilla Glaze:
- 1 cup confectioner's sugar (120 g)
- 1-2 tablespoons milk
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract or paste
Instructions
Make the Rough Puff Pastry:
- In a large bowl, add the flour, sugar, and salt, and stir with a large spoon until fully combined. Stir in the butter cubes, then the ice water, stirring until the dough comes together into a large mass. Work quickly so that the butter doesn't melt, but be careful not to overwork the dough. Divide the dough into equal halves. Shape each half roughly into a rectangle, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.
- Sprinkle your rolling surface or wax paper lightly with flour. Take out one rectangle of dough and roll it until you have a 10x8 inch (25x20 cm) rectangle. Fold the pastry into thirds as you would a letter: along the short side, fold the upper third down, then fold the bottom third up on top of it. Flip the dough over and roll into the 10x8 inch rectangle again, and repeat the folding process. Finally, flip the dough over, roll out and fold again, for the 3rd and final turn. Rewrap the pastry in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 1 hour. Repeat the process with the second half of the pastry dough.
Make the Apple Filling:
- In a 2 qt saucepan, add the chopped apples, brown sugar, water, vanilla, butter, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, cardamom, and cloves. Bring to a boil on medium-low heat, then reduce to low and cook, covered, for about 8-10 minutes, checking every now and then to make sure the apples aren't burning.
- Add the 1/4 cup of water to a liquid measuring cup and stir in the cornstarch. The cornstarch will settle if left to sit, so make sure the solution is well mixed right before adding. Add the cornstarch solution to the apples and continue to cook, stirring constantly, until the mixture reaches the desired thickness. Transfer the filling to a wide bowl and allow it to cool at room temperature or in the refrigerator until you are ready to assemble the turnovers.
Assemble the Turnovers:
- First, make the egg wash by whisking the egg with the water. Preheat the oven to 400° F (200° C.) Line 2 baking sheets with parchment.
- Sprinkle your rolling surface moderately with flour and take out one half of the dough. Roll it into a 10x10 inch (20x20 cm) square. Use a pastry scraper to cut the pastry into 4 5x5 inch (10x10 cm) squares. Transfer the squares to a baking sheet and chill in the refrigerator while you repeat with the second half of the dough.
- Take the first set of pastry squares out of the refrigerator, keeping them on the baking sheet. Brush two adjacent sides of each pastry with the egg wash. Place about 2 tablespoons of filling in the middle of each square, leaving room to fold the turnover into a triangle.
- Fold each square into a triangle with the egg-washed sides on the bottom. Press the edges with a fork to seal. Chill the turnovers in the refrigerator while you shape the other 4 turnovers.
- Once all the turnovers have been shaped, brush them with the remaining egg wash and sprinkle with coarse sugar. Bake the turnovers at 400° F (200° C) for about 18-20 minutes, or until the pastry is a golden brown. You can store the turnovers at room temperature for about 2 days, or in the refrigerator for about 5 days.