Like many recipes involving homemade pastry, Apple Cranberry Turnovers take time for all the components to come together.
The good news is that the pastry and filling can be made ahead. Once the turnovers are prepared, microwave and eat right away. Or freeze the turnovers and eat when the urge for a fall flavored hand pie strikes.
Apple Cranberry Turnovers
Text and Photo by Jac Kyles Baker
Makes 4 turnovers
Ingredients
Apple Cranberry filling:
1 cup cooked and diced apples*
1/2 cup cranberry preserves (recipe below)
For the dough:
1 1/4 cup all purpose flour
3 TB granulated sugar
3 tsp baking powder
1/8 teaspoon salt
2 TB vegetable oil
2 TB butter, cold and cut into cubes
3 TB sour cream
For the icing (optional):
3/4 cup powdered sugar
1 TB water
Preparation
In a large bowl, whisk flour and baking powder together. Cut butter into the flour with a pastry cutter or fork. Make a well in the center of the bowl.
In a small mixing bowl: whisk oil, salt, sugar and sour cream until well blended.
Add wet mixture to the well. Stir in flour until dough forms a ball.
Divide dough in half. Press into disks on two sheets of parchment paper or plastic wrap. Refrigerate dough for at least 30 minutes.**
Roll each dough half into a 1/4 inch disk. Cut dough into roughly four squares. Spread about 2 TB of filling on half of each square. Fold over the other half of the dough to form a triangle. Fold seam over. Press seam closed with a fork.
Refrigerate for 30 minutes.
Place two turnovers on parchment paper or a microwave safe plate. Microwave on HIGH for 2 minutes (time varies depending on the microwave).
Carefully remove turnovers from microwave. Dough should be dry to the touch and puffed. Cool on a wire rack.
Repeat with remaining turnovers.
For icing:
Mix 3/4 cup powdered sugar with 1 TB water. Stir until smooth.
Drizzle icing over turnovers. Allow icing to set before serving.
Cook's Notes
*Apples were cooked with 3 TB sugar on HIGH for 3 minutes.
**If dough is too cold to roll easily, allow it to warm up at room temperature until easy to roll. Dough should remain cold to the touch.
Check the dough frequently while doing so. There's a fine line between warm enough to roll easily and too warm to roll easily.
Cranberry Preserves
Makes 1 1/2 cups
Ingredients
2 cups fresh cranberries
1/2 cup fresh orange juice (about 2 medium oranges)
1/2 cup granulated sugar
Preparation
Add cranberries to a large microwave safe bowl. Cover cranberries. Microwave on HIGH for 2 minutes.
Carefully remove cover, mindful of steam. Stir in sugar and orange juice. Microwave on HIGH 2 minutes.
Carefully remove bowl. Stir preserves. Microwave on HIGH 2 minutes. The preserves will bubble. CAUTION: preserves and bowl will be hot!
Microwave on HIGH for an additional 2 minutes for a thicker preserve.
Cool to room temperature. Store in a clean and dry (preferably glass or ceramic) container.
Keep preserves refrigerated.