Recipe: Apple Turnovers

Looking for a pastry thats super simple, totally homemade and out of this world delicious?! Bring on the apple hand pies!

We love this Apple Turnovers recipe a delicious breakfast or brunch pastry. A buttery crust is wrapped around an irresistible apple filling. MarleMeridith.com
Yields12 Servings
Prep Time25 minsCook Time30 minsTotal Time55 mins
For the Pastry
 2 ½ cups cups unbleached all-purpose flour
 1 tbsp granulated sugar
 ½ tsp salt
 20 tbsp cold unsalted butter, preferably a high-fat, European-style butter, chilled and cut into 1/2-inch pieces
 4-6 tbsp ice cold water
Filling and Assem
 2 apples, cored & dices (I prefer Honey Crisp or Pink Lady)
 1 tbsp unsalted butter
  cup pure maple syrup
 1 tsp lemon juice
 ½ tsp ground cinnamon
 1 egg beaten
 coarse sanding sugar, to top pastry
1

Pie crust: In a food processor, briefly pulse together the flour, sugar and salt. Add the butter and pulse until mixture forms chickpea-size pieces (3 to 5 one-second pulses). Be sure the butter is cold at this step. Add ice water 1 tablespoon at a time, and pulse until mixture is just moist enough to hold together. You should be able to pinch it & it stays together. Form dough into two balls, wrap with plastic and flatten into a disk. Refrigerate at least 1 hour to 24 hours before rolling out and baking.

2

Apple filling: Heat the butter in a small sauté pan over medium heat. Add the apples, cinnamon, maple syrup & lemon juice. Cook a few minutes until apples are softened & fragrant. Carefully pour out the extra juices, you don't want mushy hand pies!

3

Assemble the hand pies: Remove the dough from the refrigerator & let it sit out a few minutes until just pliable. Roll out one dough disk into 1/8 inch thickness, punch out round shapes (you can keep the other disk in the fridge while you work) I used a 4 inch round cookie cutter. Spoon 1 tablespoon of the apple mixture onto the middle of a dough disk. Wet the rim of the disk with some water. Fold the disk together and seal all sides with your fingers.

4

Continue to do this until you have used up all the dough. Place shapes on a cookie sheet. Refrigerate pies for 30 minutes.

5

Pre-heat the oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit with the rack in the middle. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. Remove the pies from the refrigerator. Place them on the baking sheets. Score each pie in the middle with a knife, so they can vent while they bake. Brush egg yolk on each hand pie & sprinkle with some sugar. Bake for about 20-40 minutes (all depends on how thick you rolled the dough) Rotate the pan half way through baking.The pies will be golden brown and flakey when done. Remove from the oven & let cool a bit before serving. Enjoy!

Ingredients

For the Pastry
 2 ½ cups cups unbleached all-purpose flour
 1 tbsp granulated sugar
 ½ tsp salt
 20 tbsp cold unsalted butter, preferably a high-fat, European-style butter, chilled and cut into 1/2-inch pieces
 4-6 tbsp ice cold water
Filling and Assem
 2 apples, cored & dices (I prefer Honey Crisp or Pink Lady)
 1 tbsp unsalted butter
  cup pure maple syrup
 1 tsp lemon juice
 ½ tsp ground cinnamon
 1 egg beaten
 coarse sanding sugar, to top pastry

Directions

1

Pie crust: In a food processor, briefly pulse together the flour, sugar and salt. Add the butter and pulse until mixture forms chickpea-size pieces (3 to 5 one-second pulses). Be sure the butter is cold at this step. Add ice water 1 tablespoon at a time, and pulse until mixture is just moist enough to hold together. You should be able to pinch it & it stays together. Form dough into two balls, wrap with plastic and flatten into a disk. Refrigerate at least 1 hour to 24 hours before rolling out and baking.

2

Apple filling: Heat the butter in a small sauté pan over medium heat. Add the apples, cinnamon, maple syrup & lemon juice. Cook a few minutes until apples are softened & fragrant. Carefully pour out the extra juices, you don't want mushy hand pies!

3

Assemble the hand pies: Remove the dough from the refrigerator & let it sit out a few minutes until just pliable. Roll out one dough disk into 1/8 inch thickness, punch out round shapes (you can keep the other disk in the fridge while you work) I used a 4 inch round cookie cutter. Spoon 1 tablespoon of the apple mixture onto the middle of a dough disk. Wet the rim of the disk with some water. Fold the disk together and seal all sides with your fingers.

4

Continue to do this until you have used up all the dough. Place shapes on a cookie sheet. Refrigerate pies for 30 minutes.

5

Pre-heat the oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit with the rack in the middle. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. Remove the pies from the refrigerator. Place them on the baking sheets. Score each pie in the middle with a knife, so they can vent while they bake. Brush egg yolk on each hand pie & sprinkle with some sugar. Bake for about 20-40 minutes (all depends on how thick you rolled the dough) Rotate the pan half way through baking.The pies will be golden brown and flakey when done. Remove from the oven & let cool a bit before serving. Enjoy!

Notes

Recipe: Apple Turnovers

~ Marla Meridith

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