a recipe: easy-peasy apple turnovers

This weekend I pulled together some apple turnovers from kind-of-scratch.  Aka I bought the puff pastry.  I had made apple turnovers before at my restaurant job throughout high school and college, so I figured this couldn't be much different.  Plus, I had a piece of puff pastry in the freezer that was in dire need of immediate use lest it suffer from the ever-dreaded freezer burn.   

I took the puff pastry out of the freezer to thaw.  (This is my least favorite part of baking with puff pastry, because it seems to take for-ev-er.) And I promptly forgot about it.  Fast forward to me, 6 hours later, struggling to force gummy, melted puff pastry into neat little triangles.  As the picture above can attest: puff pastry: 1, Kristen: 0. 

No hydrangeas were harmed in the making of this dessert (or breakfast, if you're cool like me).

Aside from my dough struggles, this recipe is really very simple and should only take about 30 minutes (not including thaw time) from start to finish.  

Easy-Peasy Apple Turnovers

1 sheet puff pastry, thawed

flour, for dusting

2 large green apples, peeled (I only peeled one, because I like the peel)

1 tsp lemon zest

1 tbs lemon juice

1 tsp vanilla extract

1/4 tsp cinnamon

2 tbs sugar, divided

1 egg, separated, whites discarded

a baking sheet

parchment paper

mixing bowls

sharp knife

Preheat your oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit.  Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

Peel (if desired) and chop 1-2 large green apples in to 1/4" pieces.  Add to medium mixing bowl.  Add lemon juice (about 1/2 lemon) to bowl.  Grate zest of about 1/4 lemon and add to bowl. Add vanilla, cinnamon, and 1 tbs sugar.  Mix well.*

Once you sheet of puff pastry has thawed, lay it out flat on a lightly floured surface. Use a fork or knife to make lots of little holes in the pastry so it doesn't puff up too much in the oven. Divide pastry into 3 equal rectangles. There should already be three fold lines to guide you.  Then cut each rectangle into 3 equal squares. Add a tablespoon or two of the apple mixture to each square.  

Combine egg yolk with 1 tbs of water.  Brush egg yolk mixture around the edges of each square.  Fold over the edges and press them together to seal.  Brush the top of each pastry with more egg wash and sprinkle with remaining sugar.  Poke holes in the tops of your pastries if the original holes disappeared during the folding process.

Bake in the oven for 15 minutes or until golden brown on top.  Serve with vanilla ice cream.

*The apples will cook down and become quite soft in the oven. However, if you want a denser apple consistency, you could cook the apples in a small saucepan over medium-low heat until they resemble a chunky apple sauce and then add the apple sauce to the squares instead.