Homemade Golden Apple Pastries (Print Version)

Flaky pastries filled with a sweet and spiced golden apple mix, baked until golden and tender.

# What You Need:

→ Pastry

01 - 2 sheets puff pastry (about 17.6 oz, thawed if frozen)
02 - 1 large egg (for egg wash)
03 - 1 tablespoon milk

→ Apple Filling

04 - 3 medium golden apples, peeled, cored, and diced
05 - 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
06 - 1/4 cup granulated sugar
07 - 2 tablespoons brown sugar
08 - 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
09 - 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
10 - 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
11 - 1 tablespoon lemon juice
12 - 1 tablespoon cornstarch

→ Optional Topping

13 - 2 tablespoons coarse sugar, for sprinkling

# Directions:

01 - Set oven to 400°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
02 - Melt butter in a skillet over medium heat. Add diced apples, granulated sugar, brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, and lemon juice. Stir and cook for 4 to 5 minutes until apples soften.
03 - Incorporate vanilla extract and cornstarch into the apple mixture. Continue cooking for 1 to 2 minutes until thickened. Remove from heat and cool slightly.
04 - Lightly flour surface and roll out puff pastry sheets if needed. Cut each sheet into 4 equal squares, yielding 8 squares total.
05 - Spoon apple filling into the center of each square. Fold each square into a triangle and press edges to seal. Crimp edges with a fork.
06 - Place assembled turnovers on the prepared baking sheet.
07 - Whisk egg and milk together. Brush mixture evenly over turnovers. Optionally, sprinkle with coarse sugar.
08 - Use a sharp knife to cut a small slit on top of each turnover to allow steam to escape during baking.
09 - Bake turnovers for 20 to 25 minutes until golden brown and puffed.
10 - Transfer turnovers onto a wire rack and cool for 10 minutes prior to serving.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • They taste like apple pie but come together in half the time with no rolling out dough from scratch.
  • The filling stays tender and sweet inside a crisp, golden shell that shatters when you bite in.
  • You can make them in the morning and have dessert ready before lunch, or bake a batch and freeze them for whenever a craving hits.
02 -
  • Don't skip the cornstarch or the filling will be too runny and leak out during baking, leaving you with sticky parchment and hollow pastries.
  • Press the edges really well and crimp with a fork, I learned this after watching three turnovers burst open in the oven and lose half their filling.
  • Let the filling cool slightly before assembling or it will melt the butter in the pastry and make it soggy before it even hits the oven.
03 -
  • Chill the filled turnovers in the fridge for 10 minutes before baking if your kitchen is warm, it helps the pastry puff higher and stay flaky.
  • Use a pizza cutter to slice the puff pastry into even squares, it's faster and cleaner than a knife.
  • Brush the egg wash only on the top, not the edges, or the pastry won't puff properly where the layers are sealed.
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