Apple Cherry Turnovers

Today is the kind of chilly autumn day that makes you take stock of your tea cupboard and requires a cozy cinnamon-spiced treat. I’m all for a repeat of these apple-cherry turnovers I made a couple of weeks ago. They are totally scratch-made with firm granny smith apples, dried cherries and an all-butter puffy crust that turns golden as it bakes.

The crust I use for turnovers is akin to puff pastry, but yeasted. It’s a quick(ish) danish pasty that I love using for buns, braids and kringles, too. You may already be acquainted with it because I shared it previously in this bear claw recipe.  You’ll begin by pulsing a flour mixture with butter in a food processor until kidney bean-sized pieces of butter form. This creates a flaky texture, and there’s no denying the buttery flavor in the end result!

A bloomed yeast mixture is added to the dry ingredients and stirred until just incorporated.

Plan ahead because this dough needs to take a rest in the refrigerator for at least four hours, but overnight is preferred.

Pound the cold dough flat and roll to about 1/4-inch thickness. 

Roll to about 16×20, fold into thirds. Roll again and fold into thirds. Now the dough rests one more time for 30 minutes.

Fill with the spiced apple and dried cherry mixture and brush the edges with egg wash. Seal with the tines of a fork.

Sprinkle, sprinkle! A little sugar sweetens the crust and adds crunch.

I recommend making these over the course of two days. Prepare the dough on the first day, then roll the dough, prepare the filling, and bake on the second day. It’s a bit of a project, but the payoff is well worth it. I re-rolled all my dough scraps, so my end total was 16 pastries – so be prepared to share!

This blog post is brought to you by Go Bold With Butter! Be sure to check out all their excellent recipes made with real butter and dairy!

Apple-Cherry Turnovers

Heather Baird
Apple-cherry turnovers make a delicious dessert or afternoon treat. Consider making this recipe over the course of two days. The dough can be made the first day and refrigerated overnight. The dough can be rolled, filled and baked on the second day.
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Prep Time 35 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
4 hours chill time 4 hours
Total Time 4 hours 55 minutes
Course Breakfast
Cuisine American
Servings 12

Ingredients
 
 

  • Pastry
  • 3 1/2 cups 420g all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
  • 1 1/2 cups 340g cold unsalted butter
  • 2 packages active dry yeast
  • 1/2 cup 120ml warm water (105-115°F)
  • 1/2 cup 120ml heavy cream
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 2 eggs at room temperature
  • 1/4 cup 50g granulated sugar
  • Filling
  • 1/2 cup 90g dried cherries
  • 4 granny smith apples peeled, cored and diced
  • 1/4 cup 60g brown sugar, lightly packed
  • 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • Assembly
  • 1 egg
  • 1 tablespoon water
  • 1/4 cup 50g granulated sugar

Instructions
 

  • To make the pastry, add flour to bowl of a food processor fitted with a steel blade. Cut butter into 1/4-inch slices and add to flour. Pulse until butter is about the size of kidney beans. If you don’t have a food processor you can cut the butter into the flour with a pastry blender or other cutting tool.
  • In large bowl, dissolve yeast in warm water. Let stand 5 minutes. Stir in cream, salt, eggs and sugar. Turn the flour-butter mixture into liquid ingredients and mix using a rubber spatula until the dry ingredients are just moistened. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate 4 hours, or overnight (preferred) or up to 4 days.
  • To make the filling, toss cherries, apples, both sugars and cinnamon in medium bowl. Cover and allow mixture to stand at room temperature while you prepare the pastry.
  • Turn dough out onto a lightly floured work surface. Dust dough with flour. Roll out to make a 16×20-inch rectangle. Fold into thirds making three layers. Turn dough and roll out again. Fold again into thirds. Refrigerate 30 minutes.
  • Preheat oven to 400°F. On a lightly floured surface, roll chilled pastry to 1/4-inch thickness. Trim edges to square and cut as many 5×5-inch squares from pastry as possible. Re-roll dough scraps and cut more squares.
  • Place about 2 tablespoons of filling in center of each square. Combine egg and water in small bowl. Using a pastry brush, lightly coat edges of each square with egg wash. Pull one corner over the mixture to meet the opposite corner to form a triangle. Use the tines of a fork to seal the edges.
  • Place the pastries on parchment-lined baking sheets. Brush with egg wash and sprinkle with additional granulated sugar. Bake the turnovers 18-20 minutes, or until pastries are golden brown. Serve warm.
Keyword dried cherries, granny smith apples, rough puff pastry, turnovers
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!
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Anonymous
Anonymous
5 years ago

I've made yoru bear claws. I will be trying the pies.