I still had a pastry sheet and two apples left over from the other day, so I decided to try a different apple turnover recipe. This time I followed the Food Network's recipe.

I skipped the orange zest and the dried cherries, adding about a half a cup of coconut to the mixture instead. These turnovers tasted so much better than the ones I made the other day. I chopped the apples into bigger chunks this time, which probably helped. I wish I had a better picture, but they were so tasty I never even got a chance to take a picture of their insides!

A few days ago I made some apple turnovers loosely following a recipe I found on Allrecipes.com. We're in the midst of final exams here in Pittsburgh and although I don't mind putting time into making the apple filling, there was no way I was making pastry dough from scratch; so I finally got myself to the grocery store and purchased a package of Pepperidge Farm's frozen pastry dough. Then I set about making the turnovers; I took some pictures of the entire process, from start to finish. Here is my attempt at Apple Turnovers:

If you're using a frozen pastry sheet, set it out to thaw before you begin. I started out by peeling, coring, and chopping my apples. (I used two Granny Smith apples.) Then, to make it easier for myself later on, I combined 1/2 cup of brown sugar and 1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon and set the bowl aside.

Melt some butter in a large skillet over medium heat and toss in your chopped apples. Cook and stir the apples for about 2 minutes.

Add the brown sugar and cinnamon mixture, and cook, still stirring, for 2 more minutes.

In a small bowl, stir together 1/2 tablespoon of cornstarch and 1/2 tablespoon of water. Pour the liquid into the skillet, and mix well. Cook for another minute; once the sauce has thickened you can remove the skillet from heat to cool slightly.

Here is where I started taking less pictures and I missed a few steps. Preheat your oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Unfold your puff pastry sheet and repair any cracks by pressing them back together. Trim your sheet into a square (the Pepperidge Farm sheets are already square). Cut the large square into 4 smaller squares. Spoon apples onto the center of each square. (To note: Mike requested I add coconut to a few of the turnovers as well, as you can see from the picture above.) Fold over from corner to corner into a triangle shape, and press the edges together with a fork to seal. Place the turnovers on a baking sheet, leaving about 1 inch between them. I lined my baking sheet with foil to catch any drips (and believe me, there were puddles when I pulled them out).

Bake the turnovers for 20-25 minutes in the preheated oven, pull out and set out to cool when turnovers are puffed and lightly browned.
These are the turnovers straight out of the oven, cooling on a rack. I stuck the oven mitt in there for a size comparison; they were fairly large.

And, cut in half and ready to eat! I put two turnovers in the freezer for later and baked the other two immediately. By the time I got to eat one they were cold and, although appetizing, not quite as good as I was expecting. Mike and I baked the frozen turnovers for breakfast the next day and we ate those warm; they tasted so much better! I guess I'll need to try another recipe next time.

Labels: apples, turnovers

Every few weeks I get hit with a chocolate chip cookie craving, so earlier today I made Whole Wheat Chocolate Chip Cookies using Betty Crocker's recipe. This is the second batch of whole wheat cookies I've made in the past few months and they are definitely not bad. They have a crisp, crunchy exterior but the interior is soft and chewy - the best kind of cookie texture! I have to say though, I still prefer cookies made with all-purpose flour; you know, the not-as-healthy kind!

Labels: chocolate chips, cookies, whole wheat