Apple Cheddar Turnovers

There is nothing like fresh picked apples, cold, crisp and delicious.  Pair those crisp fresh picked apples with a sharp cheddar cheese, makes a nice snack doesn't it?  Well how about wrapping fresh apples in a flaky cheese speckled pie crust, now we're talking heaven!  These easy to make Apple Cheddar Turnovers are a fantastic take with you pie.  Pack them in lunches or serve them warm with a big glass of milk.  Apples and cheddar never tasted so good!

♥♥♥♥♥

 Ingredients

For the crust...

2 cups all purpose flour

6 oz. (1 1/2 sticks) cold butter, cut into 1/2 inch pieces

6 oz. sharp cheddar cheese, coarsely grated

1/4 teaspoon salt

6-7 tablespoons cold water 

For the filling...

3-4 medium apples, I used northern spy, but any good baking apple will work.  Peeled, seeded and cut into 3/4 inch chunks.

1/2 cup sugar

1/4 cup all purpose flour   

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1 egg beaten in a bowl.

Makes 6 generous sized turnovers  

1.  To make the crust, combine flour, grated cheese, salt and the cold butter bits in a medium sized bowl.  With a pastry blender or a fork, cut in butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs.

2.  Add the cold water 1 tablespoon at a time, stirring until mixture starts to come together.  Don't add more water than you need, it's ok to have some loose dry crumbs in your bowl.  Gather together to form a ball.  Divide dough into 6 equal parts, approximately 4 ounces each.  Refrigerate until ready to use.

3.  To make the filling, combine the  apple chunks, sugar, flour, cinnamon and nutmeg in a bowl.  Mix to combine well.  Set aside.  Preheat the oven to 400°.

4.  Remove one dough ball from the refrigerator and on a lightly floured table, roll dough to about a 7 inch circle.  Scoop out about a 1/3-1/2 a cup of apple filling in the lower center of the circle.  With a pastry brush, brush beaten egg around edge of circle.

Fold over top half of pastry to meet the bottom edge of the circle.  Press the edges together and crimp with a fork or your fingers.

Continue on with the remainder of the dough and apple mixture.  Place turnovers on a parchment lined baking pan.  Make 3 small slits in the top of the turnover to vent.

5.  Bake in the preheated oven at 400° for 15 minutes, rotate the pan and turn down the oven to 350° and bake for 20 minutes longer or until nicely golden brown and bubbly.  Remove from the oven and allow to cool for 5 minutes, then transfer with a spatula to a wire rack to cool until desired eating temperature.  Enjoy!

 

Blueberry Apple Slab Pie

Unlike the traditional fruit pie, a slab pie is made in a sheet pan.  This recipe uses a 9X13 baking pan and cuts into 8 generous pieces.  The crust is flaky and light and the filling is superb.  Blueberry and apple have always been a favorite fruit pie combination for me, but you can use whatever fruit you like, apple, strawberry rhubarb or plain blueberry just to name a few.  Pumpkin may also be used but that's for a future post.  These little hand pies are great for packing in lunches.

Ingredients

For the crust...

2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
2 1/2 tablespoons sugar
1 1/4 teaspoons salt
12 ounces  (2 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, cold, cut into 1/2 inch bits
1 large egg, beaten
3-4 tablespoons cold milk

For the filling...

1 pint fresh blueberries (2 cups) the same amount of frozen blueberries may also be used if fresh are unavailable.
1 large apple, peeled and cut into 1/2 inch chunks, about 1 cup 
1/2 cup sugar
3 tablespoons all purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1 tablespoon cold unsalted butter, cut into small bits

9X13 baking pan
preheated 400°

1.   For the crust, in a large bowl, add flour, sugar, salt and butter bits.  With a pastry blender cut in butter until it resembles course crumbs.

2.   Mix together the beaten egg and milk.  Add to the flour mixture and blend together with a rubber spatula until mix starts to come together.  Pour out onto counter top and quickly form into a ball.

Divide dough in half and wrap each half in plastic wrap.  Refrigerate for 20 minutes.

3.   Roll out one of the dough halves on a floured surface to a 10 X 14" rectangle or slightly larger.  Line the bottom of the 9X13 pan with the dough allowing the dough to come up around the sides of the pan about 1 inch.  Set aside.

4.   For the filling, mix together in a bowl the blueberries, apple chunks, sugar, flour and cinnamon.  Mix until all the fruit is covered in the dry ingredients.

5.   Pour fruit mixture into the pie shell and spread evenly across the bottom of the pan.  Sprinkle the butter bits on top evenly.

6.   Roll the remaining dough in the same manner as before.  Center the top crust over the pan and tuck overlapping dough behind the bottom crust sides.  Press and crimp together.  Cut slits in the top crust to vent.

7.   Bake in a preheated 400° oven for about 30-40 minutes or until golden on top and the filling is bubbling through the vent cuts.  Allow to cool before cutting.  Enjoy! 

 

 

 

Strawberry Cream Cheese Hand Pies

Yet another cold and rainy day here in Maine today, I'm needing the warmth of the wood stove, or better yet, the oven!  I have fresh strawberries and cream cheese in the fridge, I think some Strawberry Cream Cheese Hand Pies are in order.  A tender light and flaky crust wrapping itself around a not to sweet filling of strawberries and cream cheese, with a hint of lemon.  Oh yeah, this days getting better already!  

 Ingredients

Recipe makes 12  3-1/2" pies

For the strawberry filling...

1 Tablespoon butter

2 cups fresh strawberries , sliced

1 Tablespoon lemon juice

2 Tablespoons sugar

1 Tablespoon all purpose flour,sifted

For the cream cheese filling...

4 ounces cream cheese, room temperature

1/3 cup sugar

1 teaspoon lemon zest

1 large egg yolk

For the crust...

2 cups all purpose flour

2 Tablespoons sugar

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 pound unsalted butter (2 sticks) cold, cut into small cubes

1 large egg

3 Tablespoons cold milk

1 egg for egg wash

coarse sugar, optional 

1.   Prepare the filling first.  Place butter in a medium saucepan on medium, heat until butter starts to brown.  Add strawberries, lemon juice and sugar.  Stir to incorporate and bring to a low simmer.  Cook 5 minutes until strawberries have released their juices.  Remove pan from burner and cool completely.  Add flour and stir to combine.  Spread the mixture into a large 

plate and chill in the refrigerator until ready to use.

  

2.   In a small bowl, whisk cream cheese, sugar, lemon zest and egg yolk until smooth.  Chill in refrigerator until ready to use.

3.   In a bowl of a food processor, combine flour, sugar, and salt.  Pulse several times to mix.  Add cold butter cubes and pulse only until pea sized lumps remain.  In a small bowl beat together, the egg and milk and add to the dry ingredients and pulse until moisture is introduced throughout all of the flour mixture.  Do not over process. Transfer flour mixture to a lightly floured work surface, and gather mixture together until it forms a ball.  Divide evenly in half and shape into a disk.  Wrap each disk in plastic wrap and chill for 30 minutes.

 4.  Remove one disk from the refrigerator and on a well floured surface, roll the dough out to an 11-1/2X11-1/2" square, shy of 1/8" thick.  Using a 3 1/2" square cookie cutter, a pastry wheel or a knife work well also, cut out 9 squares.  Gather together scraps and set aside.  Do the same with the other disk.  Take your leftover scraps and combine into a disk, roll and cut and repeat until you have a total of 24 squares.

In a small bowl, beat remaining egg with 1 Tbs. of water, brush 1/2 of the squares all over with the egg wash.

Spoon about a teaspoon of cream cheese mixture and a teaspoon of the strawberries in the middle of each egg washed square, don't over fill.  Top with the second (unwashed) piece of dough and press all around with your finger, or the tines of a fork.  With a sharp knife poke a few small holes on top to vent steam.  Brush top of each pie with egg wash and if desired, sprinkle with coarse sugar.  Place tarts on a parchment lined baking sheet and chill.

 5.   Heat oven to 375° let the tarts rest in the refrigerator while the oven preheats.  Bake for 20-25 minutes, until a light golden brown on top.  Remove from oven and allow to cool slightly, then remove from pan to a wire rack.  Serve warm or at room temperature.

Enjoy!

For more fresh fruit recipes, click the links below.

Lavender and Lovage

 What Kate Baked