Sweet and juicy fruits are back in season and these apricot turnovers are perfect for the summer! The turnovers are made with puff pastry for extra flakes and a lighter texture. I bet you’ll be licking off your fingers, looking for delicious buttery crumbs! Bursting with jammy and tangy filling, the apricot turnovers are begging to be eaten.
Quick and easy, they’re made with shop-bought puff pastry so you’ll only need 35 min to prep the filling and assemble your turnovers. I say yes to desserts that taste just like sunny days but require only the minimum of effort!
Ready-made puff pastry
There’s no shame in using shop-bought pastry! It saves time and so much effort! I don’t know about you but in France, we’re currently in the middle of a heatwave. It’s 37°C (99°F) today and the last thing I’d want to do is struggle to make puff pastry with butter melting in a flash. Make your life even easier by buying a rectangle-shaped puff pastry. It will be easier to divide it into squares.
Be careful not to overfill your turnovers with the stewed apricots. I know there is a great temptation to add more filling, but you won’t be able to fold the pastries properly. The apricot turnovers will probably end up opening and spilling while baking so you’ll end up with empty turnovers instead of filled-to-the-brim ones. If you have leftover stewed apricots, I’d advise you to spoon it over yogurt bowls or on top of toasts instead of trying to place it all on the pastry squares.
Sweeten to taste
Before making the filling you should taste an apricot slice. If it’s a bit sharp, don’t hesitate to add more sugar to the filling. Cooking apricots brings out their natural sourness and you don’t want the filling to be too tart. This recipe is pretty versatile and you can make turnovers with so many other fruits! Peaches, raspberries, apples, etc., the possibilities are endless. However, don’t forget to adjust the sugar and cooking time to the different fruits (apples are harder and will need more time to stew, raspberries are sour so you’ll need to add more sugar,…).
I love the herbal and citrusy flavors that cardamom pods add to these apricot turnovers but it might not be to everyone’s taste. For a more common flavor profile (if you’re feeding little ones), you could swap the pods for 1 cinnamon stick or 1 tsp of vanilla extract. I’m sure these aromas will please everyone.
French chaussons
To me, turnovers are the American equivalent of what we call chaussons in France. French chaussons are always made with puff pastry, shaped a big bigger than turnovers and filled with stewed apples. You’ll find them in every French bakery, all year long. I guess it’s the reason I was drawn to puff pastry for these apricot turnovers but you could use shortcrust pastry (pie crust) too! They will be just as tasty, with a bit more of a bite to them.
Freezing
You can freeze the apricot turnovers before baking them (if you didn’t use thawed puff pastry). To freeze them, place the apricot turnovers on a baking tray lined with baking parchment and place the tray in the freezer for 3 hours. When the pastries are frozen solid you can place them in a plastic container (or a freezer bag to save space). You can keep them in the freezer for up to 3 months.
You don’t need to thaw the apricot turnovers before baking them but you’ll need to add 3 to 5 minutes to the baking time.
Apricot turnovers
- Prep Time: 35 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour 5 minutes
- Yield: 9 turnovers 1x
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Description
Bursting with jammy and tangy filling, these apricot turnovers are begging to be eaten! They’re made with shop-bought puff pastry so you’ll only need 35 min to prep them. I say yes to delicious desserts that only require minimal effort!
Ingredients
For the stewed apricots:
- 250g apricots, stoned (9 oz)
- 45ml water (3 tbsp)
- ½ tsp cornstarch
- 55g brown sugar (¼ cup)
- pinch of salt
- 5 cardamom pods (optional)
For the apricot turnovers:
- 230g store-bought puff pastry (8 oz), thawed overnight if frozen
- 1 egg
Instructions
For the stewed apricots:
- Roughly cut the apricots into 1,5cm (½ in) chunks.
- Whisk the water and cornstarch together in a mixing bowl. Add the sugar, salt and cardamom pods. Stir with a wooden spatula until well combined.
- Transfer the mixture into a non-stick pan and place over medium heat. Cook for 10 min, stirring often, until the mixture has thickened and the apricots are soft. If there is a lot of liquid in the pan, drain the excess by putting the stewed apricots in a colander over the sink.
- Place the stewed apricots in a bowl and let them cool down to room temperature. Scoop out the cardamom pods. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until needed.
For assembling the apricot turnovers:
- Divide the puff pastry into 9 equal squares with a sharp knife. I divided mine into 8,5cm squares (3 in).
- Making one apricot turnover at a time, place 1 tsp of stewed apricot in the center of a pastry square. Lightly brush the edges of the pastry with water. Take one corner of the square and fold it diagonally over the stewed apricot to form a triangle.
- Seal the turnover by pressing the edges together with a fork. Cut small vents on top with a sharp knife. Place on a baking tray lined with parchment paper. Repeat with the other pastry squares.
- Chill the assembled apricot turnovers in the fridge for 15 min. In the meantime preheat the oven to 175°C (350°F).
- Make the egg wash by whisking the egg and 1 tbsp of water together. Lightly brush the tops of the turnovers with egg wash and sprinkle with additional sugar. Bake for 20 min to 25, until golden brown.
- Let the apricot turnovers cool for 10 min on the baking tray, then transfer to a wire rack.
Notes
These apricot turnovers are best eaten within a few hours of baking, but they will keep for a few days in an airtight container. Keep in mind that the stewed apricots will eventually make the puff pastry soggy.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 turnover
- Calories: 187
- Fat: 10.5g
Keywords: summer dessert, apricot recipes, puff pastry
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