Looking for a savoury way to cook apples? Try this French Chicken Casserole a la Normande with Apples! Our favourite grocery store sells apple turnovers all year round, not just in the autumn. And of course my kids have a weak spot for them, begging for one every time we walk by. Ah who am I kidding? So do I! To make the temptation even stronger, they are very cheap, so we often grab a few to go with our afternoon tea. That went on for a while until I stumbled upon one unfortunately underbaked batch. The pastry was pale and soft but what it also revealed was horribly under seasoned apples inside. I mean the apples were sweet but that’s about it. No cinnamon or nutmeg. None of the delicious spicing that enhances the flavour of apples.
Adding flavour
So I thought to myself. What is stopping me from making my own apple turnovers? It’s just a bit of puff pastry and apples. But what I will also add is cinnamon, nutmeg and brown sugar to make the most seductive apple filling! I will also dust my apple turnovers with cinnamon sugar for the fragrant, golden crust! There is a reason why cinnamon and nutmeg are the perfect pairing for apples and found over and over again in apple baking recipes. The hint of bitterness in nutmeg and warmth of cinnamon balance perfectly with the sweetness of apples. While cinnamon and nutmeg form the basis for the spicing of these turnovers, brown sugar plays no small part in the final flavour. Brown sugar not only adds more moisture to baking, it also adds a deeper, caramel taste that I find far more satisfying.
Apple turnovers with puff pastry
As much as I am happy to put the effort into making the apple filling perfect, the crust is a different matter. I’ve found that a good quality pre-made crust can be a fantastic timesaver without compromising on taste or flakiness. You can certainly make your own but I don’t see the point, especially when high quality all butter puff pastry is available at reasonable price. Even better if it’s pre-rolled. It really cuts down on your own work.
Making the filling
Unlike an apple pie which be filled with raw apples, apples for turnovers are best when cooked first. That is necessary due to a shorter time in the oven, which doesn’t provide enough time for them to cook all the way through. It’s also quite important to peel them first and slice into smaller and thinner pieces. Flavour your apples with any spices you fancy. As mentioned, I’ve used cinnamon and nutmeg for mine. Don’t forget to use a bit of cornstarch to keep the apple juices at bay. From this point, it is just a matter of assembling. Don’t add too much of the filling to the pastry as you don’t want them to be bursting. And crimp the sides carefully with a fork so they don’t open when baked.
