Flaky Apple Turnover, sort of like Julia Child's

Here is a simple recipe with all the advantages of the traditional American Apple Pie, without the pie tin, based on a recipe in Julia Child & Company. Since the crust is the main feature of this dessert, it nicely demonstrates how the schmaltz (rendered chicken fat) produced in the previous post can be used in pastry. You could use butter, of course.

Julia's turnover serves 6 - 8, which is more than we need in our house, even considering the difference in expected serving sizes. You can easily double or quadruple the amounts given in my version. And because no pie pan is involved, feel free to make the turnover as large as you like, or in any shape you like.

One secret to keeping pastry dough cold - and producing flaky results - is to use a chilled marble slab as a working surface. Such things are available at cooking stores; I found mine at a thrift store where it had once been the top of a small table. It used to slide nicely into our old refrigerator, but the new side-by-side refused admittance. Improvising again, I chilled the marble with a few bags of frozen vegetables. There's more than one way to do what must be done.

You want to bake this pastry on a cookie sheet without edges in order to slide the turnover on and off the surface without breaking the delicate crust. Although I've never baked a jelly roll in my life, all the cookie sheets I own are actually jelly-roll pans with raised edges. What to do? No worries: I flip the jelly-roll pan upside down, spray and cover it with parchment, then spray again. Instant baking sheet.

Confession: I am so glad we didn't video this recipe! Not only did I spill chicken fat all over the floor along with a cup of ice water, but I burned my thumb removing my first effort from the oven. That 1st turnover is shown here on the blue plate. It disappeared plenty fast, and no one complained, but, well, I knew.  Some days just need too many do-overs.

For my second effort I turned out the dough from the processor onto a floured silicon baking sheet instead of waxed paper, and worked on that surface from there on. I think Julia would have loved it!  I hope you'll try the recipe, because it's quite good in spite of my goof-ups.

Recipe: Flaky Apple Turnover

1 c. all-purpose flour
1 Tbs. raw sugar (finely granulated)
pinch (1/8 tsp.) salt
1/3 c. plus 1 Tbs. very cold butter or rendered chicken fat
2 1/2 Tbs. (more or less) iced water

2 apples
1 - 2 Tbs. raw or brown sugar
dash cinnamon - freshly grated preferred
1 tsp. lemon zest
2 tsp. lemon juice
1 egg  (need not be doubled for larger recipies)

A food processor makes short work of the dough: combine flour, sugar, and salt in the processor bowl. Cut butter or fat into bits the size of almonds, then add to the processor, pulsing only enough to partially blend the ingredients. Add ice water 1 Tablespoonful at a time, pulsing several times. Test by pressing your finger against the dough; it should be crumbly and soft but not sticky. If it is too stiff, add just a bit of water and pulse again; if it is sticky, sprinkle with flour.

Turn the dough onto a flour-dusted sheet of waxed paper or silicon sheet and press it into a flat ball with your hands. Try to handle the dough as little as possible. Wrap the waxed paper or sheet around the dough and chill for at least an hour. This time in the refrigerator lets the fat solidify again while the flour absorbs moisture.



While the dough chills, quarter and core the apples; peeling is optional. I  used slices in the first turnover, then cut them into a 1/2" dice for the second effort. That made assembling the turnover much easier. I'm all for easy.


Combine apples with sugar, cinnamon, lemon zest and juice, then refrigerate for the remainder of the hour required by the pastry dough. This gives the filling time to blend, drawing the juices out of the fruit and melding flavors together. It's also a nice time to mop up any chicken fat or apple cores from the kitchen floor, or to make yourself a calming cup of tea, whichever seems most important at the moment.

If you are not using a silicon sheet, put a fresh piece of waxed paper on the counter or that cold marble slab and sprinkle it with flour. Roll the chilled dough into a rectangle about 6" wide by 10" long. Pile the apples on one half of the rectangle then use the waxed paper or silicon sheet to lift the other half and fold it over the top of the apples. Use the lemon and apple juices left in the bowl to moisten the edges of the dough and press them firmly together. Trim away excess dough, and reserve scraps for decorations. Seal edges of the turnover by pressing with a fork - if you can make a pattern, wonderful, but no one is keeping score at this point.

If time allows, chill the turnover again for half an hour or so, to let the dough relax while the oven heats to 400 degrees. Chill the scraps of dough as well, then roll them out, spread lightly with butter or fat, fold and roll again. Repeat, then cut into ribbons to decorate the top of the turnover. Just before baking, beat the egg with a spoonful of water or any juices left over from the filling. Brush the top of the turnover with the egg wash, prick the top two or three times then bake for 30 to 35 minutes. Check after 15 minutes, and if the crust is browning too much, shield it with a tent of aluminum foil.

When the juice is bubbling out of the crust, which is nicely browned around the bottom, remove from oven and use the parchment or silicon sheet to slide it onto a rack. Now you may serve it as soon as the filling has cooled sufficiently not to burn anyone's mouth, with ice cream or sorbet, or serve it cold with a few fresh berries and grapes.

Notes:

The second turnover was noticeably more flaky and tender than the first. Difference? The fat was colder when I began, and I was meticulous about chilling the dough at every step. Probably having a lighter touch on the food processor pulse button also helped. The water was added all at once, then mixed with only three or four quick pulses; scrape the bowl, another quick pulse or two, and quit. Using the silicon sheet may have made the most difference, since the dough was handled less by my hot little hands.
 
copyright Starr Luteri 2009