Goal: We wanted to make the perfect apple turnover, with a flaky, shattering crust, without spending all day in the kitchen.

Solution: Start with a quick food-processor puff pastry and add a quick extra step for more flakiness, then grate the apples for a smooth, fruity interior.

FLAKY APPLE TURNOVERS
Makes nine 5-inch turnovers

If at any point during rolling the dough becomes sticky and difficult to work with, transfer it to a cookie sheet or cutting board, wrap it in plastic, and chill until it becomes workable. The dough can be made through step 4, then wrapped tightly in plastic wrap and kept for up to 5 days in the refrigerator or 2 months in the freezer. Defrost frozen dough in the refrigerator 1 day before you plan to use it.

Quickest Puff Pastry
2 cups (10 ounces) all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon sugar
1 teaspoon salt
16 tablespoons (2 sticks) cold unsalted butter, cut into 1/4-inch cubes
6 tablespoons ice water
1 teaspoon juice from 1 lemon

Apple Filling
4 Granny Smith apples (about 1 pound)
1 cup sugar
2 teaspoons juice from 1 lemon
1/4 teaspoon salt

Cinnamon Sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

1. In workbowl of food processor fitted with steel blade, pulse to combine flour, sugar, and salt. Add one-quarter of the butter cubes and cut butter into flour until butter is in dime-sized pieces, four 1-second pulses. Add remaining butter to coat cubes with flour, two 1-second pulses. Transfer mixture to medium bowl.
2. Combine ice water and lemon juice in small bowl. Add 3 tablespoons liquid to flour and butter mixture and toss until just combined. Toss in remaining water, then turn dough out onto work surface. Follow illustrations 1 through 3, "Fraisage MAkes for Tender Pastry," below, to fraisage dough; wrap in plastic and refrigerate.
3. Unwrap dough and follow illustrations 1 and 2 in “Shaping the Turnovers” (below) to roll and fold dough twice. If dough is soft and sticky, wrap in plastic and refrigerate 30 minutes until workable, then repeat rolling and pressing. When second rolling and folding is complete, wrap dough in plastic and chill at least 30 minutes.
4. Following illustrations 3 and 4 from" Shaping The Turnovers," below, roll, trim and cut dough into nine 5-inch squares. Slide parchment and dough onto cookie sheet or large cutting board and refrigerate while making filling.
5. Peel apples. Following illustration 5 from" Shaping The Turnovers," below, grate on large holes of box grater. Combine grated apples, sugar, lemon juice, and salt in medium bowl. Line baking sheet with parchment paper; set aside. Working one at a time, remove dough squares from refrigerator and set on work surface. Place 2 tablespoons grated apple filling (squeezed of excess liquid) in center of dough. Moisten two adjoining edges of dough square with finger dipped in apple liquid, then fold top portion of dough over bottom, making sure to overlap the bottom portion by 1/8 inch. Follow illustration 6 from "Shaping The Turnovers," below, to crimp edges of turnover with tines of fork. Using wide metal spatula, transfer turnover to prepared baking sheet. Repeat process with remaining dough squares. Refrigerate 30 minutes or cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate up to 24 hours.
6. While turnovers are chilling, adjust oven rack to upper-middle position and heat oven to 375 degrees. Combine sugar and cinnamon in small bowl.
7. Brush or mist turnovers lightly with water and sprinkle evenly with cinnamon sugar. Bake until golden brown, 18 to 22 minutes. Using wide metal spatula, transfer turnovers to wire rack to cool.

January, 2001
Original article and recipes by Raquel Pelzel

 
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