A Plate Full

I know.  I know that time has passed for apple recipes to come tumbling out.  Fall is just a memory for most of us, and we’re looking for deeply spiced, long cooking, keep us warm through the cold night recipes.  In spite of all that, apple turnovers have no season.  Fragrant and still slightly warm, icing sticking to impatient fingers, the soft crack of flaky layers giving way as you bite down…..these need to stay around.  

These apple turnovers have a faintly exotic spice, a warm scent and taste.  You just might find yourself draping a silk scarf around your shoulders and searching for a Bollywood movie to watch as you enjoy them.  Ok, that might be a stretch, but try them, they are so good.  And easy…so very easy.  Let me show you.

Gather round you:

4 baking apples 
2 sheets of puff pastry dough
1/4 cup of sugar
1 tbsp. of lemon juice
1 tbsp. of butter
1/2 tsp. of ground cardamom
1 tsp. of brown sugar
1/2 tsp. of cinnamon
1/3 tsp. of salt
1/4 tsp. of garam masala
1/2 cup of confectioner’s sugar

Heat your oven to 400. Peel, core, and chop the apples into approximately a 1/2″ dice. Put them into a bowl with the 1/2 cup of sugar and the lemon juice.  Stir to coat the apples, cover, and let them sit for 30 minutes.

Unfold the two sheets of puff pastry, and cut each of them into 4 even squares.  If you lightly flour your counter, it will make it much easier to work with.  You want to be able to pick them up and move them easily.  Drain and reserve the juice from the apples, you’re going to use it later.

Saute the apples with the butter over medium high heat for about 10 minutes.  You want the apples to soften and release a bit of juice and start to gently caramelize.  I use a fork to smash the apples a bit, giving some a finer texture, almost applesauce-y in places.  I think the smoother texture with the bigger pieces makes a more interesting filling.  When your apples start to brown a bit, mix in the cardamom, brown sugar, cinnamon, garam masala and salt.  Remove from heat.

Using either your finger or a small pastry brush, moisten all edges of the pastry square you’re going to fill with the reserved juice.  Put 1/8 of the filling in the middle of the square and fold the dough over into a triangle.  Press the two edges together to form a tight seal, and then crimp the edge with the tines of a fork to ensure the seal and give it a nice finished edge.  Using the fork, poke two sets of holes in the top to release steam, and place on a baking sheet lined with parchment.  Repeat with the rest of the puff pastry squares.  Brush the tops with the reserved juice ( all that sugar and apple juice will help make a lovely brown crust) and bake for 15 to 20 minutes.  You’ll need to check at 12 minutes and adjust your time from there.  You want a light brown top, with the pastry puffed and fluffy.  Don’t forget to check the bottom, they can darken quickly.  Don’t worry if some of the filling has made an escape, there’s plenty left inside!

Remove from oven and let cool.  While they are cooling, in the same bowl that you had the apples in, mix the confectioner’s sugar with enough of the remaining reserved juice to make a glaze.  2 tbsp. should be more than enough.  You want it the consistency of honey.  While the pastry is warm, drizzle the glaze over the pastry.

You’re done!  It takes 30 to 45 minutes of cooling time for the glaze to set and make the filling cool enough to enjoy.