AA TURNOVERS

It doesn't get more comforty than an apple pie does it? But what does one do when you don't have or can't be bothered making a shortcrust. Bring out our old friend, the frozen pack of puff pastry and you can whip up some apple turnovers instead. For added flavor I have added apricots and raisins into these triangular treats and stewed them in sugar and a good spoon full of cinnamon to really make them pop. The perfect winter pudding to warm you up on a chilly evening! 

Of course if your not a fan of either apricots or raisins then just leave them out or swap them for some other dried fruits that you enjoy instead. Cranberries perhaps for a christmassy vibe or even some desiccated coconut for a more tropical feel.

If you want to make this an adult treat, drop in a tbsp or two of amaretto. But don't tell anyone, that's our little secret! They are a great dessert for preparing in advance to. Get to the stage just before you brush the triangles with egg wash and you can either place in the fridge ready to bake later or freeze for another day.

This yummy recipe will give you 6 beautiful triangles. Give them a go next time you need a proper core warming pud.

AA Turnovers

300g Peeled And Cored Apples

100g Chopped Dried Apricots

75g Raisins
1 Tbsp Lemon Juice

100g Light Brown Sugar

1 Tbsp Ground Cinnamon

2 Tbsp Amaretto (Optional)

500g Defrosted Puff Pastry

1 Whole Egg

1. Chop up the apples into bite sized chunks and throw in a saucepan along with the apricots, raisins, lemon, sugar, cinnamon and amaretto (if using). 
2. Turn on the heat to medium and stir until the mixture has gone thick and syrup like. Break down the apples slightly as you stir. Once done, leave to one side until cool.
3. Once the filling is cool, roll out the pastry until big enough to cut out six 15cm square pieces. Spoon the apple mixture equally into the centre of each square.
4. Beat the egg in a bowl and brush the edges of the pastrybefore folding one corner over the filling diagonally to form triangles. Crimp the edges to seal in the fillings.
5. Place the turnovers in fridge whilst you preheat your oven to 180 degrees (160 fan).
6. Once the oven is at temperature, remove the turnovers from the fridge and brush the tops with more egg and sprinkle each with a tsp more of the sugar.
7. Place in the oven and bake for 25-30 minutes until golden brown and crispy.

Serve piping hot straight from the oven with a great big scoop of ice cream. Clotted cream worked the best in my eyes. You might want to cut them in half when dishing up just to let some of the heat out. The filling is as hot as molten lava and no one wants to burn their mouth off now do they.

Break through that crispy pastry and let that warm apple and cinnamon smell waft around your home. Its better than any scented candle you can get your hands on!