September 18, 2008

Barefoot Bloggers- Apple Turnovers

This week's Barefoot Bloggers recipe has me reminiscing. I miss the Apples and Peaches that come with Fall. I miss my dear friends in Utah who would share a box of peaches with us, go with us to the dollar theater last minute (before we had babies, you know), and I miss the smell and colors of fall- before it's cold and while it's still so beautiful.

Well, Arizona has it's own wonderful time of year- Winter- and it's going to be here soon, I hope. I'll be eating oranges and lemons and everything will have a little bit of zest or juice in it. It will be a good as the Fall, if a little different. So until then, I chose Apple Turnovers to celebrate the coming of Fall. The apples came from Safeway, but baked up in a delicious puff pastry crust, they are just about as delicious as possible. Add some orange zest and juice, a few craisins (maybe cherries next time) and sharing these with new friends (while we have a babysitter for our little man) is almost as wonderful as Fall in Utah.

So fork over the money for some good puff pastry (or be like me, and stalk it in the grocery store, waiting for a sale, that will come and will likely result in buying at least three packages) and make these one night with your honey. It's fun, quick, and satisfying. Even if it's still 110 outside... but that's why we have air conditioning, right?

But unless it really is cold in your house, be sure to cool the pastry after you roll and cut it. When you form the turnovers, they will have a much better shape and texture to them if you take the extra ten minutes to do that. Believe me (since this recipe makes 8 and from the pictures you are only seeing 4, you can guess the other 4 were less than beautiful since I didn't take my own advice on those!)

Apple Turnovers
from Ina Garten

1 teaspoon grated orange zest (a little more)
3 tablespoons freshly squeezed orange juice
1 1/4 pounds tart apples, such as Empire or Granny Smith (3 apples)
3 tablespoons dried cherries (1/4 Cup)
3 tablespoons sugar, plus extra to sprinkle on top
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon (1/2 teaspoon)
1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg (just a pinch)
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 (I will cut mine a little bigger next time, around 1 inch, so they stay a little firmer when baking). 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 (about 25 minutes). Serve warm or at room temperature.

29 comments:

  1. They do look just delicious! I wish I had chilled mine before popping in the oven...they never got as puffed as I would have liked :( Still tasty, just not as pretty as yours! Excellent job!

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  2. Yours look lovely and thanks for such a great choice. I never had turnovers before but I will be making them a lot in the future!

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  3. So I came for the turnovers and I think I'm staying for the blog :)

    Wonderful site and great photos! If you ever need some bread to go with all this stop on over ;)

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  4. Oh Anne those look perfect! You've totally got me in the mood for fall now! I wish I could take a bite of one right now! Great recipe pick!

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  5. Thank you Anne, for a wonderful recipe choice! I love your photos, they are beautiful, the red and the blue just compliment the delicious golden turnovers perfectly. What a wonderful welcome fall treat :)

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  6. Those turnovers look delicious! I like the puffiness of them. You are so lucky for 110 degree weather, it's freezing here and it's not even winter yet! At least that means the house doesn't feel like a sauna with the oven on.

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  7. absolutely perfect pick! I love turnovers! Yours look so tasty! Great job!

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  8. Your turnovers look amazing! I haven't been able to get to them yet, but I intend to make them this weekend. Great pick! I will trade you the Utah fall/winter anytime you want!

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  9. Great choice- yours look so good. I, too, miss fall in Utah, but I sure don't miss the winter. I'll take sun over snow any day!

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  10. Thank you for picking these, Anne! I share your love of all things fall, and these turnovers took me right there, despite our 90degree Alabama weather. We loved them! I love your pictures of the turnovers on the blue dishtowel on the grass. Your turnovers are beautiful!

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  11. I totally have to stop reading your blog at work, where my only "snax" are what in the honor box or the microwave popcorn in my desk.

    These sound so yummy.
    I think I may make them for the kids this weekend.

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  12. These look so pretty! I love apple turnovers!

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  13. Those look so delicious...I'm really sorry I didn't get a chance to make them yet! It is the beginning of apple-picking season here in New England and I'll be trying them once I bring a bushel or two home.

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  14. Oh wow, these look insanely good! Great pictures!

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  15. Lovely turnovers! I tend to do the same thing--only take pictures of the good looking ones. Lately, whenever I bake something, Brianna asks me if I'm going to take pictures to put on the computer. =)

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  16. Thanks for picking this! They were so easy and so yummy!

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  17. Thank you, this is what I should do with the puff pastry I have! Yours look so frigging good, I adore your pics.

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  18. Dang those look good! I love pie crusty desserts!

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  19. Your turnovers are gorgeous! Everyone is loving them too. I can't wait to make these with my fall apples! Nice work!

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  20. Wonderful choice, we enjoyed it immensely.
    Your apple turnovers look great, I have been inspired by your post to make my next apple dish with peaches in it.

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  21. Thank you so much for such a wonderful challenge. Even if my turnovers don't look like turnovers I was taken out of my comfort zone and learned so much! Yours look delicious!

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  22. Thanks for a great recipe pick! I love how your turnovers look with the blue checks. Good tip on chilling the puff pastry--I'll remember that next time!

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  23. They look great and I have to tell you, "you done good" with your selection!

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  24. great choice, anne! tonight, my bf ate five and a half all by himself (he wanted to save me one little half because he felt guilty). :P

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  25. Such a great choice of recipe--these were so easy, but so good!

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  26. Your apple turnovers look totally yummy! My parents live in Arizona and even with air conditioning, the weather is difficult to deal with. . .especially in the kitchen. Excellent choice on the apple turnovers. . .we all loved them =D

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  27. Those look so wonderful on the blue napkins. Down south in UT, it's almost like AZ. We don't get too much of a fall yet, but it's coming soon. And it's not too far away if we hop in our car. I'm anxious to make these. I have evrything I need-just couldn't quite get it done in time.

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  28. They look picture perfect! Even if the other 4 weren't as pretty as these, I'm sure that they were delicious.

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  29. Thanks for choosing a great recipe. Yours looks yummy. I love the pics, very Americana.

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