Apple Turnovers in Puff Pastry

Flaky, buttery puffed pastry filled with a delicious apple pie filling makes the most delicious apple turnovers.

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I know I just shared the best baked pumpkin spice donut recipe with you, but apple-picking season is upon us, and it’s gotten me in the mood for these delicious apple turnovers in puff pastry. The flaky, puffy pastry is filled with homemade caramelized cinnamon spiced apple filling, and the combination is making my mouth water just talking about it.

Why use puff pastry?

Puff pastry is difficult to make from scratch, so I always choose a good quality brand from the grocery store. Sometimes, I use an easy homemade pie dough to make sweet hand pies, but puff pastry is light and airy, making them taste and feel extra special.

Are these turnovers made with traditional apple pie filling?

The apple pie filling is the only one I ever use, whether I’m making a pie, tart, or bars or just spooning it over ice cream. It’s very easy to make and always comes out delicious. So, if you have leftovers, you can make something else… if you can manage not to eat it straight from the bowl!

Can you make these ahead of time?

These stay fresh in the freezer for up to 2 months, so make enough for now and later. If you want to make them new but are tight on time on your baking day, the apple pie filling can be made up to two weeks in advance and stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator. All you’ll need to do is assemble the pies and bake!

Ingredients for Apple Turnovers

I use traditional apple pie ingredients for the filling, and using puff pastry instead of pie crust is a great shortcut!

• Puff pastry -thawed from frozen
• Granulated sugar for topping
• Confectioner’s sugar for garnish

What to use to make an apple filling

• Apples -your favorite apple diced into bite-sized pieces, not too small, so they hold their shape, and the filling stays a bit hearty.
• Unsalted butter -the buttery base for your filling. I use unsalted so I can control the amount of salt.
• Granulated sugar -even though apples are sweet, they need sugar to help caramelize the filling.
• Light brown sugar -adds to the sticky caramelized filling and deepens the flavor from the molasses.
• Cornstarch -creates a thick, luxurious filling so it doesn’t spill out of your turnovers while baking.
• Ground cinnamon -the famous apple and cinnamon combination is famous for a reason. It’s a match made in heaven!
• Salt -brightens all the flavors together.
• Heavy whipping cream -combines with the butter, sugar, and cornstarch and makes what reminds me of a caramel sauce.

Ingredients for egg wash

• Egg yolks -egg wash gives the cooked turnovers a golden brown color.
• Milk -adding this to egg wash enhances the gloss and color of the pastry.

What type of apples can I use?

There are so many types of apples, but I typically choose gala, fuji, or pink lady’s. If you prefer a tart apple, Granny Smith apples are the way to go. You can use whatever you like best or any combination of apples. Mixing a sweet apple with tart Granny Smith apples would make for a beautiful sweet-tart turnover.

How to make Apple Turnover in Puff Pastry

Make the Filling:

Peel, core, and slice the apples about 1/4 inch thick. Melt the butter in a large skillet and add all of the filling ingredients except for the cream to the skillet. Cook over medium heat while stirring until the filling thickens. Remove from heat and add the cream. Add more cream if the filling is too thick. Mix and set aside to cool completely.

Assemble the Pastries:

Cut the puff pastry into 5-inch (13 cm) squares. Place a heaping tablespoon of the filling (be careful not to add too much filling, or the pastry won’t seal) in the center. Fold the pastry over to seal the edges, forming a triangle. Press the edges together using the tines of a fork to create a decorative border and seal the pastry.

Prepare for baking:

Preheat the oven to 400 °F, 200 °C. Place the turnovers on baking trays lined with parchment paper. Combine the egg yolks with milk in a small bowl and whisk together. Brush the tops of the pastries with the egg wash and sprinkle some granulated sugar on top. Chill the pastries in the freezer for 15-20 minutes. This will help them puff up better when they bake.

Freeze for later:

At this point, you can freeze the pastries that you don’t need to bake. Place a tray of turnovers in the freezer until they are frozen solid. Then, transfer the pastries to freezer-safe bags, which will keep fresh in the freezer for up to 3 months.

Bake from freshly made:

Place the pastries on the center rack of your oven for 20-25 minutes or until puffed and golden. Then, dust confectioner’s sugar over the turnovers and serve warm.

Bake from frozen:

Place the frozen turnovers on a baking tray and bake them from frozen until golden -about 35 minutes.

How to serve the turnovers

Choose your favorite cake stand or platter to serve these, and make sure everyone has a plate or bowl. As with traditional apple pie, you can kick dessert up a notch by serving the turnovers with a scoop of ice cream and a hot cup of coffee. However, they’re delicious as is, so be careful not to eat one every time you pass the table. Kali Orexi!

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Apple Turnovers in Puff Pastry

Yield: 18 turnovers

Flaky puff pastry filled with a delicious apple pie filling makes the most delicious apple turnovers. These stay fresh in the freezer up to 2 months so make extra.

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Ingredients

• 2-3 (1 pound) sheets of puff pastry, thawed
• granulated sugar for topping
• confectioner's sugar for garnish

For the Apple Filling:

• 10 apples, Gala, Granny Smith, or Pink Lady
• 4 oz (114g) unsalted butter
• 3/4 cup granulated sugar
• 1 cup packed light brown sugar
• 4 and 1/2 tablespoons (50g) cornstarch
• 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup heavy whipping cream

For the Egg wash:

• 2 egg yolks
• 2-3 tablespoons milk

Instructions

Make the Filling:

Peel, core, and slice the apples about 1/4 inch thick. Melt the butter in a large skillet and add all of the filling ingredients except for the cream to the skillet. Cook over medium heat while stirring until the filling thickens. Remove from heat and add the cream. Add more cream if the filling is too thick. Mix and set aside to coll completely. The apple pie filling can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator up to 2 weeks.

Assemble the Pastries:

Cut the puff pastry into 5-inch (13 cm) squares.

Place a heaping tablespoon of the filling (be careful not to add too much filling or the pastry won't seal) in the center. Fold the pastry over to seal the edges forming a triangle. Press the edges together using the tines of a fork to create a decorative border and to seal the pastry.

Place the turnovers on baking trays lined with parchment paper.

Combine the egg yolks with milk in a small bowl and whisk together. Brush the tops of the pastries with the egg wash. Sprinkle some granulated sugar on top. Cut a few slits on top of the pastries for the steam to escape during baking.

Preheat the oven to 400 °F, 200 °C.

Chill the pastries in the freezer for 15-20 minutes. Thsi will help them puff up better when they bake.

Bake the pastries on the center rack for 20-25 minutes or until puffed and golden.

At this point you can freeze the pastries that you will not bake. Place in the freezer on a tray until they are frozen solid. Transfer the pastries to freezer-safe bags and they will keep fresh in the freezer for up to 3 months. Bake them frozen until golden. About 35 minutes.

Dust confectioner's sugar over the pastries and serve warm. Kali Orexi!

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