Apple pies are, of course, a classic American dish. Making it serving size and adding a delicious coating can turn the common into an extraordinary delight.
Turnovers have been around quite a while, first appearing in the 1700’s. In 1798, Sporting Magazine describes them well: "A turnover is a sort of small,typically individual pie or pasty, in which the filling is placed on one side of a piece of rolled-out pastry and the other side is then turned over to cover it, forming a semi-circular shape. The term is first recorded at the end of the eighteenth century: an old woman preparing her turnovers, commonly called apple-pies."The are pockets full of sweet goodness. Try the following recipe the next time a treat craving comes on:
Dough Ingredients:
- 3 cups flour
- ¼ cup shortening
- 1 ½ tsp salt
- 1 Tb sugar
- 1 cup butter
- ½ cup cold water
Dough Directions:
- Mix flour, salt, and sugar in a large mixing bowl. Cut in the butter and shortening, until they are the size of peas.
- Slowly add the cold water, mixing by hand, until the dough holds together like a ball. Slightly more cold water may be added if the dough is too dry.
- Cover the dough and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes, to make the dough easier to work with.
- Roll out dough to 1/8 inch in thickness, and cut into 6 inch circles. Rolling out the dough on a floured pillow case helps them not to stick. Put circles to the side while preparing the filling.
Filling Ingredients:
- 2 Tb apple juice
- 2 Tb honey
- 4 Tb. Sugar
- ¼ cup butter
- 1 Tb lemon juice
- 2-4 tsp. cinnamon
- ¼ tsp nutmeg
- ¼ tsp ginger
- 6 apples, peeled, cored, and cubed
Filling Directions
- Cook the sugar in the butter for 4-5 minutes.
- Add the rest if the ingredients and cook for 15-20 minutes over low to medium heat, until the apples are tender. They will be caramelized and the mixture will be slightly thick.
Frying Time
- To assemble the pies, put about 3-4 tablespoons of the filling in the center of the dough circles. Fold in half and with damp fingertips, seal the edges.
- Put 3- 4 cups of oil of choice into a medium sized pot and heat to 350 degrees. Fry for a minute or two on each side, until a light golden brown. Drain on newspaper or brown paper bags while making the dusting.
Dusting
- 1 1/3 cups of sugar
- 1 ½ Tb. of cinnamon
For the dusting, simply mix these two ingredients n a shallow bowl. Cover the turnovers with the sugar mixture and serve warm.
There is no doubt that these tasty turnovers will disappear from the table. Enjoy!
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