Pear Turnovers Recipes

APPLE AND PEAR TURNOVERS

Steps:

• In a large skillet, bring apple juice and maple syrup to a simmer over medium heat. Split vanilla bean lengthwise. Using the tip of a sharp knife, scrape seeds from the center into skillet; add bean. Cook until liquid has reduced slightly, 1-2 minutes. Add apples and pears; cook and stir until fruit is just tender, 7-9 minutes. Remove from heat; add lemon zest and juice. Cool completely. Remove vanilla bean pods., Preheat oven to 400°. On a lightly floured surface, unroll pastry sheets. Roll each sheet into a 12-inch square; cut each sheet into 4 equal squares. Spoon 1/4 cup apple mixture diagonally over half of each square to within 1/2 in. of edges. Moisten pastry edges with water. Fold one corner over filling to the opposite corner, forming a triangle; press edges with a fork to seal. , Transfer to greased baking sheets. Brush tops of pastries with beaten egg; prick tops with a fork. If desired, combine coarse sugar and cinnamon; sprinkle over pastries. Bake until golden brown, 18-20 minutes. Remove from pans to wire racks. Serve warm or at room temperature., Freeze option: Freeze pastries in freezer containers. To use, reheat pastries on an ungreased baking sheet in a preheated 350° oven until heated through, 5-7 minutes.

PEAR AND AMARETTI TURNOVERS

Steps:

• Combine pears, sugar and brandy in large bowl. Toss to coat.
• Draw one 4 x 4-inch pear shape and one 4 1/2 x 4 1/2-inch pear shape on parchment paper. Using scissors, cut out shapes.
• Line baking sheet with parchment paper. Roll out 1 pastry sheet on lightly floured surface to 12-inch square. Using 4 x 4-inch parchment template, cut out 6 pear shapes from pastry. Transfer pear-shaped pastries to baking sheet, spacing evenly.
• Sprinkle half of crushed cookies over pastries, leaving 1/2-inch border. Arrange pear slices over crushed cookies. Sprinkle remaining cookies over pears. Roll out second pastry sheet on lightly floured surface to 14 1/2-inch square. Using 4 1/2 x 4 1/2-inch parchment template, cut out 6 pear shapes from pastry. Brush edges of pastries on baking sheet with water. Arrange larger pear-shaped pastries atop pears, pressing pastry edges together to adhere. Press edges with fork to seal. Using skewer, poke small hole in top of each turnover to allow steam to escape. Press 1 almond sliver in tip of each turnover to represent stem. Cover and refrigerate 20 minutes.
• Preheat oven to 375°F. Brush turnovers with egg. Bake until golden brown, about 30 minutes. Transfer to rack and cool. (Can be prepared 8 hours ahead. Store in airtight container at room temperature.)

APPLE -PEAR TURNOVERS

Steps:

• Before you start position 2 oven racks evenly in the oven near the center so there is space in between them. Preheat the oven to 400°F Grease 2 baking sheets with butter.
• To make the filling peel, core and cut into small chunks the apple and pear.
• Put the chunks into a bowl.
• Add the brown sugar, flour, vanilla, cinnamon, nutmeg and raisins and stir together.
• Sprinkle a work surface with some flour.
• Unfold 1 of the thawed puff pastry sheets on top of the flour. Keep the other sheet wrapped in the refrigerator.
• Sprinkle some flour on the pastry.
• Using a rolling pin, and beginning at the center of the pastry, roll out to the far side. Then roll from the center toward you.
• After every few rolls, give the pastry a quarter turn and sprinkle the top and bottom of the pastry with more of the flour so the pastry does not stick.
• Keep rolling and sprinkling until the pastry is a 12 1/2-inch square.
• Using a ruler and a pizza wheel or table knife, trim the edges to make a 12-inch square.
• Pull away the scraps of dough and discard.
• Cut the 12-inch square into 4 equal 6-inch squares.
• Spoon 1/3 cup of the filling into the center of each square.
• Spread the filling across the middle toward 2 opposite points.
• In a small bowl, beat the egg with a fork.
• Brush the beaten egg along 2 edges of each square with the pastry brush.
• Fold one-half of each square over the filling, enclosing it fully and forming a triangle.
• Press the edges together with the fork to seal them.
• Place the 4 turnovers on a prepared baking sheet, spacing them 2 inches apart.
• Repeat with the remaining puff pastry sheet and filling.
• Using a pastry brush, brush the tops of the turnovers with the beaten egg.
• Sprinkle the turnovers with the sugar.
• Put 1 baking sheet on the upper rack in the oven and the other sheet on the lower rack in the oven and bake for 10 minutes.
• Then, using oven mitts, remove the baking sheets and put each one on the opposite rack.
• Bake until the turnovers are puffed and brown, about 15 minutes more.
• Allow to cool for 10 minutes.