Off the top, let me say that I love to garden and pull weeds and pick things and can those things. I love to see a dried up little seed grow into a lush, harvest bearing plant, then pick and store up that food for my family and friends. I am certain I could write an entire book on the theology of gardening. So, for this recipe, I canned apple pie filling last fall. It was the first time I had ever thought of doing that (with the suggestion of a friend) and it was EASY and boy, were we all glad I had done it when the COLD, dreary winter days were upon us. You can completely skip this step and buy apple pie filling from the store or cook apples right at the time you decide to make these - assuming you will make these. You would be crazy not to try them at least once. TRUST me on this one.
If anyone is interested in the recipe for apple pie filling, please let me know. I'm going to skip that step here, but will be happy to pass it along. It is EASYas long as you have a few simple tools to do the job.
Anyway . . . You will need some form of this:
I highly recommend that you find an orchard near you this July and go pick some Yellow Transparent or Lodi apples and can a dozen quarts of this. You will not regret it for a single second. Again I say, TRUST me. If you are time challenged, however, you can run to the store and grab some Granny Smith's and whip up a single batch for the following recipe. Let me know and I can send you a good recipe.
Here we go . . .
First, you'll need to gather the ingredients. You need: apple pie filling, puff pastry sheets, one egg - beaten and ready to use with a pastry brush, butter, cinnamon sugar, powdered sugar, a little bit of milk and vanilla.
Next, preheat oven to 400 degrees.
Thaw puff pastry until it is pliable enough to unfold. On a clean, smooth counter or similar smooth surface, unfold puff pastry sheets, and repair any cracks by pressing them back together. Gently roll sheet to enlarge it about an inch in each direction. Be careful not to smash it too much - GENTLY roll until each sheet is in the shape of a square. Then cut each larger square into 4 smaller squares.
Spoon apples onto the center of each square. Place a few dots of butter on top of apples and then sprinkle with cinnamon sugar. Take the egg wash and with your finger or a small pastry brush, paint the egg along the sides of the pastry sheet. This acts as a "glue" to hold the pastry together better. Fold over from corner to corner into a triangle shape, and press edges together to seal. Place turnovers on parchment paper on a baking sheet, leaving about 1 inch between them. Gently paint egg wash over the tops of triangles and sprinkle with additional cinnamon sugar.
Bake for 20-25 minutes in the preheated oven, until turnovers are puffed and lightly browned.
Now . . . for the glaze . . . Please don't skip this step. Please.
To make the glaze, mix together about 2 cups of the confectioners' sugar, a tablespoon or two of milk and 1 teaspoon of vanilla in a small bowl. Adjust the thickness by adding more sugar or milk if necessary. Glaze should be thin enough that you can drizzle from a fork. Next, drizzle. Drizzle.drizzle.drizzle. I drizzle over warm turnovers. Some recipes say to wait until turnovers are cool, but believe me when I say, you want to eat this sweet, gooey, flaky delight while it is warm.
Are you ready?
Just hot from the oven:
Drizzling . . .
Serve to the smiling, longing, drooling faces surrounding you. You won't have to call them if they are anywhere within nose-shot of your kitchen. Serve with a scoop of vanilla ice cream and you will have them wrapped around your finger for days.
Do not expect leftovers unless you are crafty and can figure out a way to hide one for later consumption. My favorite spot is the pantry. At night. When all the little darlings (and one big darling) are fast asleep. Some day I'll tell you about whole pecans dipped in Nutella. In the pantry. At night.
Have a great day!
