Apple Turnovers

After making pasties on Friday, I had leftover sheets of puff pastry.

What to do ?

Looking around my kitchen for inspiration, I spotted the large bag full of home grown Granny Smith apples that had been given to me. How about apple turnovers, they are very simple to make and even easy to eat straight from them oven with cream poured over them.

The filling needs to be cool so you can make it earlier in the day, or even the day before and keep it in the fridge.

Apple Turnovers

4 sheets puff pastry, 8 - 10 large granny smith apples: peeled cored and cut into cubes, 100 gms butter, 1/2 cup brown sugar, 2 tsps each ground cinnamon and star anise, optional 2 tbsps brandy or marsala, 1 egg beaten for egg wash, extra caster sugar to sprinkle on top of turnovers

Melt butter in a frypan add sugar, apples and spices, bring to the boil, cover and reduce heat, simmer 10 minutes. Check if the apples are tender, if the are but there to much liquid leave the lid of and increase the heat and leave it to simmer until the liquid has reduced. If using alcohol add now and let simmer for 2 minutes.

You do need a small amount of liquid to keep the apples moist, but not that much so the apples are sloppy.

Remove from heat, place into a bowl put aside to cool.

When the filling is cold, preheat the oven 200.c. Line your baking trays with baking/parchment paper.

Place the sheets of pastry on your bench. Cut each sheet into 4 squares. Now you can make oblong or triangle turnovers. Place heaped tablespoons of mixture, you may need more to fill the turnover, on 1 half of each square, leaving a 1 cm border around the edge. Brush the edge with the beaten egg, fold over and press down edges with a fork, also pierce the the centre of the turnover once with the fork, to allow the steam to escape. Place onto the trays brush with egg and sprinkle with extra sugar.

Bake 20 minutes or until golden. Remove and serve with pouring cream and enjoy.