Superflaky Apple Turnovers - Cooks Illustrated

Published January 1, 2001.

Fast food-processor puff pastry and grated apples make a turnover vastly superior to those made with store-bought pastry or precooked apples.

The Problem

Making the flaky puff pastry used in turnovers is so labor-intensive that most home cooks let bakeries do it. Bad turnovers are disheartening-the filling is bland and mushy and the dough soggy, more like a bad prepackaged pie than “apples in slippers” or chasussons aux pomme, the French name for this tantalizing pastry.

The Goal

We wanted to make the perfect apple turnover, with a flaky, shattering crust and firm, not mushy, apples, all without spending the entire day in the kitchen.

The Solution

Start with a quick food-processor puff pastry and add a quick extra step for more flakiness—the classic technique fraisage, in which the dough is pressed, one handful at a time, against the work surface so the butter is forced into thin sheets. Instead of chunks or slices, grate the apples for maximum flavor, then season with lemon juice, sugar, and just a pinch of salt. Save the cinnamon for dusting the surface of the turnovers.

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Flaky Apple Turnovers

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