A lesson in turnovers

1 servings

Ingredients

Quantity Ingredient
No Ingredients Found

Directions

Fruit turnovers are simple yet wonderful pastries that capture the great flavors of so many late harvest fruits such as apples and pears. Turnovers are fuller in flavor than their first cousins, pies, because the samller size of the pastry allows hotter internal cooking temperatures. This better caramelizes flavors from the fruit. Use the best fruit available.

Cut firmer fruits into smaller, thinner pieces that will com;letey cook through in the shorter turnover cooking time. Tender, moist fruit may be cut in larger pieces to preven them turning to mush.

Use berries whole. %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%% %%%%% CHOOSE YOUR CRUST %%%%% %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%% PIE CRUST DOUGH: is the standard and works well as a turnover. The scrap raw pie crust dough left over in the making of the pie is a perfect candidate. SWEET OR ENRICHED PIE CRUST: such as sour cream crust, buttermilk crust, nut flour crust and even flavored crusts will add another dimension of taste. PHYLLO DOUGH: is a natural for a super thin layered and flaky pastry. %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%% %%%%% FILLING %%%%% %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%% Roll the pastry out and cut into 6 inch squares. Combine fruits with sugar, spices and, if necessary, cookie crumbs to firm up the filling. Position a couple of spoonfuls of the mixture in the center of the square. Brush the edges of the pastry with an egg and cream mixture, fold over to make a triangle, and seal. Cut a tiny vent into the top with a simple snip of the pastry scissors. Brush the top with the egg and cream mixture. You may sprinkle the top with coarse sugar for eye and palate appeal. If you've done all the steps right, just sit back and let the turnovers brown. When they're done, transfer them to a cake rack to cool at least to room temperature. Bake the turnovers half of the cooking time of the bottom rack of the oven to insure a crisp lower crust and maximum heat penetration to the filling. Move the turnovers to the top rack to brown the top crust and ensure even cooking. Lots of fruit flavors are complimentary to each other, so mix tree fruit and berries for some especially great combinations. Jimmy Schmidt is the proprietor of the Rattlesnake Club, Tres Vite, Stelline and Chianti.

Origin: Jimmy Schmidt's Cooking Class Column, from the Detroit Free Press, Wednesday, September 14, 1994.

Submitted By SHARON STEVENS On 01-11-95

Related recipes