Note I photographed this guy while it was cold, they look a little more "alive" when they are piping hot! Also this is obviously a cutaway, to show you the filling.
Enjoy!
Cherry Turnovers
Yield: 8 turnovers
Baking Temperature: 350°F
Baking Time: 20-25 min
Ingredients: Dough
One box of "puff pastry" dough
One egg white
Pinch of salt
3 TB turbinado or white sugar
Ingredients: Filling
About a pound of cherries, pitted and halved
sugar to taste (1/4 C)
1/2 tsp almond essence
Instructions
- Cooking the filling first reduces its water content, reducing sogginess in the turnover. In a saucepan over medium heat, place cherries in a little water (1/2C).
- Heat until it is bubbling then cook down until volume is reduced.
- Add sugar to taste (some cherries are sweet and some are tart).
- Add almond essence to enhance flavor (not to impart an almond flavor) if you wish.
- Defrost the pastry according to its directions.
- Cut each sheet into quarters for a total of eight squares.
- On your work surface lay out a square and put a few spoonfuls of fruit in the center.
- Fold one corner over to the opposite corner making a triangle.
- Using tepid water trace a line along the edge to "glue" the pastry into a triangle.
- Tamp down edges using a fork.
- Using a sharp knife make a one inch slit in the top of the pastry to vent steam.
- Transfer to baking sheet/silpat and repeat for remaining pastries.
- In a small bowl, whisk an egg white and a pinch of salt well until mixture has an even texture.
- Using a pastry brush, brush the egg white onto the top (cut top) of each pastry. This just browns the pastry and can be omitted.
- Using a spoon, sprinkle some turbinado (or white) sugar evenly over the egg white. This adds crunch and sweetness and can be omitted.
- Bake at 350°F-375°F for 15-25 min, until tops are brown and fruit is bubbling.
- Remove from oven and cool on wire rack.
- Serve hot or warm, best when fresh.
For the first time in this blog I am using an improvised recipe. The cherry turnover thing all started with getting over a pound of cherries from a business contact. I imagine the guy got them from a dude at the side of the road because there's a lot of those fruit stands around this time of year with cherries and strawberries. I had to use these cherries fast and I've never made a successful pie before, so the idea was to try turnovers. Not in a mood to ruin the dough (which is similar to pie dough), and considering it was at least 80° and dough is hard enough to deal with in winter, I decided to "cheat." Then I improvised on the filling.
The baking time and temperature is vague because my oven can't regulate it's own temperature properly. Basically when your house starts to smell delicious, it's done. See what's on the box of puff pastry and use that as your guide.
Yes you can make your own puff pastry, don't let me stop you. This is an "abundance of fruit" recipe and is a quick and easy way to use up fruit.
Look forward to more "abundance of fruit" recipes because this is a farm town and fruit season is here!
