Apple Turnovers and Salted Caramel Sauce
Sunday night I decided to take some pictures of dinner and I thought I'd post my apple turnover recipe which really could not be easier. If you want more difficult, you can make your own puff pastry but I do like and use the frozen kind. The puff pastry in my market comes in two 9-inch squares and is perfect for making eight turnovers. I've also posted my caramel sauce - also easy though it helps to either have a candy thermometer or a good sense of how dark the sugar should be before removing it from the heat.
We started the evening with a buttermilk cucumber soup. I love the pale green of the soup and it is topped with chives from my garden. (Yay, spring!)
Cold Cucumber Buttermilk Soup
Then I made a broccoli rice casserole. I've found the most important thing about any cheesy casserole is to get the best cheddar (or other strongly flavored cheese) you can since that is going to provide much of the flavor. Likewise, a nice, strong Romano or Parmesan cheese is quite helpful. Beyond that it was skim milk, brown rice, minimal butter, and broccoli.
Cheesy Broccoli Rice Casserole
And for dessert I made apple turnovers and caramel sauce. I skipped the vanilla ice cream since I'm not as evil as the Evil Queen and decided we had enough sweets for the evening. :)
Flaky Apple Turnover and Salted Caramel Sauce
Apple Turnover
1 package puff pastry, thawed overnight in the refrigerator
3-4 apples, variety up to you and what is available
1/2 c sugar
2 tsp lemon juice
2 tsp ground cinnamon
Peel apples and grate on large holes of box grater. Combine grated apples, sugar, lemon juice, and cinnamon in medium bowl.
Take out one piece of the pastry and return the other back to the fridge. Lay it out on a well floured board and sprinkle more flour over the top. Roll out the pastry until it measures 10 inches square and then cut into four squares. Repeat with second pastry. You will have 8 5-inch square pieces of pastry for the turnovers.
Place 2 tablespoons grated apple filling (squeezed of excess liquid) in center of first square of dough. Moisten two adjoining edges of dough square with finger dipped in apple liquid, then fold top portion of dough over bottom and press to seal. Crimp edges of turnover with tines of fork. Transfer turnover to baking sheet. Repeat process with remaining dough squares. Refrigerate 30 minutes to chill. (Or freeze turnovers to enjoy later which makes them an excellent make ahead dessert. To use simply bake directly from the freezer as directed below, adding 1-2 extra minutes to the time.)
While turnovers are chilling, adjust oven rack to upper-middle position and heat oven to 375 degrees. Bake until golden brown, 18 to 22 minutes. Using wide metal spatula, transfer turnovers to wire rack to cool.
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Salted Caramel Sauce
If you don’t own a candy thermometer follow the time approximations in the recipe and keep a close watch on the color of the sugar syrup; it should be a medium to deep amber color before the cream is added and it's better to err on the side of lighter color because too dark will give the caramel a burnt flavor. I've been practicing doing this by sight and not by temperature and it doesn't take long to go from perfectly caramelized to overdone.
2 c sugar
1 cup heavy cream
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, cold
1 tsp vanilla
1-2 tsp kosher salt
Pour 1 cup water into 2-quart heavy-bottomed saucepan; carefully add sugar to center of pot without letting any touch the sides. Bring to boil over high heat, covered. Uncover pot, insert candy thermometer, and continue to boil until syrup is thick and straw-colored, registering 300 degrees on candy thermometer, about 15 minutes. Reduce heat to medium; continue to cook until sugar is medium to deep amber and registers 350 degrees on candy thermometer, about 5 minutes longer. Meanwhile, when temperature of syrup reaches 300 degrees, bring cream to simmer in small, heavy-bottomed saucepan over high heat. (If cream reaches simmer before syrup reaches 350 degrees, reduce heat and keep warm.)
Remove sugar syrup from heat. Pour about one quarter of hot cream into sugar syrup; let bubbling subside. Add remaining cream; let bubbling subside. Whisk until smooth; whisk in butter, vanilla, and 1 teaspoon salt. Taste and add more salt if needed. Let cool until warm; serve.
This entry was originally posted here and has
comments. Comment here or there.
We started the evening with a buttermilk cucumber soup. I love the pale green of the soup and it is topped with chives from my garden. (Yay, spring!)
Cold Cucumber Buttermilk Soup
Then I made a broccoli rice casserole. I've found the most important thing about any cheesy casserole is to get the best cheddar (or other strongly flavored cheese) you can since that is going to provide much of the flavor. Likewise, a nice, strong Romano or Parmesan cheese is quite helpful. Beyond that it was skim milk, brown rice, minimal butter, and broccoli.
Cheesy Broccoli Rice Casserole
And for dessert I made apple turnovers and caramel sauce. I skipped the vanilla ice cream since I'm not as evil as the Evil Queen and decided we had enough sweets for the evening. :)
Flaky Apple Turnover and Salted Caramel Sauce
Apple Turnover
1 package puff pastry, thawed overnight in the refrigerator
3-4 apples, variety up to you and what is available
1/2 c sugar
2 tsp lemon juice
2 tsp ground cinnamon
Peel apples and grate on large holes of box grater. Combine grated apples, sugar, lemon juice, and cinnamon in medium bowl.
Take out one piece of the pastry and return the other back to the fridge. Lay it out on a well floured board and sprinkle more flour over the top. Roll out the pastry until it measures 10 inches square and then cut into four squares. Repeat with second pastry. You will have 8 5-inch square pieces of pastry for the turnovers.
Place 2 tablespoons grated apple filling (squeezed of excess liquid) in center of first square of dough. Moisten two adjoining edges of dough square with finger dipped in apple liquid, then fold top portion of dough over bottom and press to seal. Crimp edges of turnover with tines of fork. Transfer turnover to baking sheet. Repeat process with remaining dough squares. Refrigerate 30 minutes to chill. (Or freeze turnovers to enjoy later which makes them an excellent make ahead dessert. To use simply bake directly from the freezer as directed below, adding 1-2 extra minutes to the time.)
While turnovers are chilling, adjust oven rack to upper-middle position and heat oven to 375 degrees. Bake until golden brown, 18 to 22 minutes. Using wide metal spatula, transfer turnovers to wire rack to cool.
=============
Salted Caramel Sauce
If you don’t own a candy thermometer follow the time approximations in the recipe and keep a close watch on the color of the sugar syrup; it should be a medium to deep amber color before the cream is added and it's better to err on the side of lighter color because too dark will give the caramel a burnt flavor. I've been practicing doing this by sight and not by temperature and it doesn't take long to go from perfectly caramelized to overdone.
2 c sugar
1 cup heavy cream
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, cold
1 tsp vanilla
1-2 tsp kosher salt
Pour 1 cup water into 2-quart heavy-bottomed saucepan; carefully add sugar to center of pot without letting any touch the sides. Bring to boil over high heat, covered. Uncover pot, insert candy thermometer, and continue to boil until syrup is thick and straw-colored, registering 300 degrees on candy thermometer, about 15 minutes. Reduce heat to medium; continue to cook until sugar is medium to deep amber and registers 350 degrees on candy thermometer, about 5 minutes longer. Meanwhile, when temperature of syrup reaches 300 degrees, bring cream to simmer in small, heavy-bottomed saucepan over high heat. (If cream reaches simmer before syrup reaches 350 degrees, reduce heat and keep warm.)
Remove sugar syrup from heat. Pour about one quarter of hot cream into sugar syrup; let bubbling subside. Add remaining cream; let bubbling subside. Whisk until smooth; whisk in butter, vanilla, and 1 teaspoon salt. Taste and add more salt if needed. Let cool until warm; serve.
This entry was originally posted here and has
comments. Comment here or there.