Love flaky turnovers? Don’t love fussing? Blitz puff to the rescue.
Tender turnovers, stuffed with sweetened raspberries, the pastry shattering into a shower of buttery shards with each bite…
How DO you make that pastry?
It must be hard, right? A delicate touch, molding the butter, rolling, folding, rolling, folding, waiting, chilling, folding… Did I hear someone mention 729 layers?
Hey, you want to go that route, be my guest. We have a very approachable recipe for Pâté Feuilletée (e.g. Classic Puff Pastry) right here on this site.
I admit, I’ve gone so far as to read the recipe. I’ve even watched a couple of my fellow test kitchen bakers make it. And enjoyed the croissants that came out of the oven… like, a million years after they started the whole process. (Just kidding! It’s “only” about 18 hours, really… which is approximately 16 1/2 hours longer than I like to spend on any baking project.)
But bottom line, there’s no way I’d make classic puff pastry. Still, this time each summer, as the berries start to ripen, I long for flaky, delicate turnovers.
I confess, I’ve resorted to Pepperidge Farm at times. But making my own turnovers, from my backyard raspberries, is a much more satisfying experience.
Plus, Pepperidge Farm turnovers are made with shortening, not butter. Somehow, “shortening shards,” though alliterative, just doesn’t have the allure of “buttery shards.”
I’ll tell you upfront, making your own turnovers is somewhat fussy. But with the following recipe, you at least avoid the long, drawn-out process of making the pastry. The “blitz puff,” made with sour cream, is a long-time baker’s secret, yielding wonderfully flaky pastry in just a few simple steps.
There’s still the rolling, cutting, filling, and sealing, of course. But I’ve managed to shorten that process a bit, too, via a turnover press.
Which falls under the welcome heading of “inexpensive plastic gadget that really works.”
So, are you ready to impress you family and friends with flaky, delicate turnovers, sans help from Pepperidge Farm?
Raspberry Puff Turnovers, here we come!
First step: LOTS of butter. We’re going to “cut” the butter into the flour, just as if we were making pie crust. It’s easy to do this in a food processor; but use your own favorite method, if preferred. There’s also salt and baking powder in the work bowl. Why baking powder? PUFF pastry; a little chemical leavening doesn’t hurt!
Be sure to leave some good-sized chunks of butter in the mixture.
Add sour cream, and pulse briefly. The dough will look very crumbly, but will hold together just fine when you grab it.
Deposit it onto a floured work surface. I’m using our silicone mat here—easy rolling, easy cleanup.
Let’s backtrack a second. Don’t have a food processor? Make the dough in your mixer. Or by hand. Here’s what it looks like prior to adding the sour cream.
And here it is after the sour cream has been incorporated.
OK, back to real time. Shape the dough into a rough square.
Roll it into an 8” x 10” rectangle; for reference, this is slightly shorter than an 8 1/2” x 11” piece of paper. Don’t make yourself crazy here; approximations are fine.
See the lighter spots here? That’s the butter, and that’s what’s going to create the flakes in your pastry.
Grab one of the 8” sides, and fold it into the center, like a letter.
Now fold the other short (8”) side on top of the first. “Darn, I thought we weren’t going to fold anything!” Calm down; we’ll only do this twice.
Roll 8” x 10” again…
…and fold again.
Wrap in plastic, and chill while you make your filling.
My raspberries aren’t ripe yet, so I dug a bag of frozen berries out of the back of my freezer. Frozen berries always feel like hidden treasure, don’t they? Though you may grumble as you pick berries, slapping mosquitoes and sweating in the August heat, the fruit of your labors (pun intended) makes it all worthwhile in February. Or July.
Whisk together Instant ClearJel and sugar. ClearJel is an awesome thickener, as it doesn’t need to cook to do its job. It’s the thickener we use in our Pie Filling Enhancer, and the thickener Cook’s Illustrated cites as best for fruit pies.
Speaking of Pie Filling Enhancer, I meant to figure out how much to use in this recipe; didn’t get around to it. As a guess, I’d say use 1/4 cup Pie Filling Enhancer in place of the ClearJel, and cut back the amount of sugar by 1 tablespoon.
You can also use cornstarch here, in place of the ClearJel. It’s a bit more problematic, as you need to dissolve it in water, and then you need to cook the filling. But if that’s what you have, go for it: rather than mix the cornstarch into the sugar, as you would the ClearJel, mix it with enough water to dissolve.
Pour the sugar/ClearJel mixture into the berries, which you’ve put in a saucepan.
Add vanilla and cinnamon…
…and toss to combine. Add the dissolved cornstarch here, if you’re using it.
Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly. The berries will thaw and start to fall apart.
Very quickly, they’ll look like this: chunky-smooth, and thickened. Remove from the heat. If you’re using cornstarch, continue to cook till the mixture bubbles and thickens.
Spoon into a bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate while you roll out the pastry.
So, here we are again with our folded pastry. Place it on a well-floured surface, and start to roll. You want to make a square at least 16” on a side. Work quickly; the colder the dough, the easier it is to roll and cut and fill.
So, this is like 17” or so. And it’s kinda not a square, either. Whatever, right? Trust me, you can make yourself crazy trying to be a perfect baker. Or just relax and do your best.
Trim the edges to make a square. You can sprinkle these trimmed-off pieces with coarse sugar and bake up some REALLY tasty nibbles.
Cut into 4” squares. I love my acrylic pizza cutter, because it’s OK to use it on silicone. And it doesn’t give me the heebie-jeebies that most pizza wheels do. You can run this baby over your hand all day long, and it won’t hurt at all. Yet it cuts dough beautifully. How does it DO that? Got me; but it’s a wonderful thing, for those of us who tend to be kitchen klutzes around sharp objects.
For the best seal, brush two contiguous sides of each square with an egg wash (1 egg beaten with 1 tablespoon water).
Like this.
Dollop filling slightly off-center of each square. A teaspoon cookie scoop works well here.
Bring one corner of each square diagonally over to fold. Use a fork to seal. You’re beginning to see light at the end of the tunnel here, aren’t you? If your oven isn’t turned on, now’s the time to do it: 400°F.
And now, for a word from our sponsor. That would be us, King Arthur Flour. Although we’d love to not have to worry about money, we’re a business. And it takes dollars to get our flour onto the grocery store shelves, send you our catalogue, keep this Web site going, and provide a living for all 167 of us employee-owners. So bear with me as I sell you something: this plastic turnover press.
First, it cuts a nice, even circle; no wobbly tracing around a saucer.
Brush with egg wash, add your filling…
And here’s the slick part: turn the press over, set the filled round inside…
…and clamp shut to seal. (Yes, we had lots of fun in the kitchen clacking these at each other like false teeth; the set comes with four different sizes, so we each had one to play with.)
Bob’s your uncle: how’s that for a nice-looking turnover, sports fans?
This isn’t strictly necessary, but it’s a nice touch: brush the turnovers with the remainder of the egg wash…
…and sprinkle with coarse white sugar. And if you don’t yet have this ingredient in your pantry, I recommend it highly. It’s a wonderful all-purpose spiffer-upper for scones, muffins, cookies, and pie crust.
Put the turnovers into a 400°F oven.
Bake about 20 to 25 minutes, till they’re nice and brown. And magnificently puffed, I might add.
The filling probably will have begun to bubble and ooze. That’s a good thing, it means the turnovers are fully baked. It’s also the reason you line your pan with parchment.
Look at those flaky layers!
And the buttery shards.
Here’s a little experiment I did. Left to right, I brushed these turnovers with beaten egg; milk, and water. You can see the difference in browning each one of those makes.
One last picture. These are the triangular turnovers (no sugar on top), in all their flaky glory. Worth the effort? Just like picking berries, I’d have to say yeah, worth it. Homemade turnovers are a thing of beauty. Well, if not a thing of beauty, at least a joy forever!
Read, rate, and review (please!) our recipe for Raspberry Puff Turnovers.
Buy vs. Bake
Buy: Pepperidge Farm Raspberry Turnovers, $4.08/lb., $3.19/4 turnovers
Bake at home: Raspberry Puff Turnovers, $2.78/lb., $2.09/4 turnovers
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July 2nd, 2009 at 9:30 am
Can this be done without the modified food starch (jel)? That stuff has a lot of free glutamic acid and that kills my heart, quite literally. You can use the thickener that you usually use. The blog talks about using cornstarch. Mary@ KAF
July 2nd, 2009 at 10:28 am
My husband is ‘cherry’ crazy! How would I do this using cherries? Canned pie filling wouldn’t do in my opinion, icky! I have frozen pie cherries in the freezer. These would need more sweetening. I have the Pie Filling Enhancer, so how to make these with my cherries? Would I use the same amounts of everything?
Thanks so much for any help, Sharon W.
Only the amount of clearjel may change depending on how juicy they are. Joan@bakeershotline
July 2nd, 2009 at 10:50 am
Marvelous! That’s such a great idea! Your turnovers look so good…
Cheers,
Rosa
July 2nd, 2009 at 10:55 am
PJ–Those look amazing! I’m not quite sure why I thought a foodblog crawl would be a good thing on a particularly slow morning in the office. Not to mention that I’ve completely lost interest in my bowl of kashi honey puffs. But now I think I’ve found a new way to spend my July 4th weekend. I have a bag of frozen mixed berries that I hope will work–and turnovers are a better fate than the smoothie doom they’ll face if I don’t bake them in something. And maybe since there’s no chocolate and just fruit, I can get Nik to eat it! Double bonus!
As you know, Nik is SO not a dessert person, Claire. At the risk of revealing childhood secrets, the only sweet he’d eat as a kid were canned mandarin oranges and raspberry yogurt. I used to try to force cake and cookies on him - no go. Good luck with the turnovers - my guess is you’ll get the scrunched-up lips, the suspicious eyes, and the “No thanks…” Come to think of it, you might take that bag of berries and go here: Berry Sorbet. You might have more luck, Nik-wise…
PJ
July 2nd, 2009 at 11:46 am
It never occurred to me to use those presses for turnovers. I have some that I got for making chinese food dumplings and love them and I know people who use them to make little filled sandwhiches (think peanut butter and jelly).
Don’t you just love it when you find another use for for a tool! Joan@bakershotline
July 2nd, 2009 at 11:59 am
Oh my gosh, my mouth is watering just looking at those pictures. I gotta get my hands on some raspberries stat.
July 2nd, 2009 at 1:01 pm
Oh YUM!! I can’t wait to try these….soon I hope as am recovering from ankle surgery. It may be worth the pain to stand to make these sooner than I should!!
Be good, Sandy - you don’t want to go back for more surgery. This recipe can wait! PJH
July 2nd, 2009 at 1:02 pm
Wow! I’m gonna try it out! We make savory turnovers - with a spicy potato and peas filling so I’m always looking for puff pastry! And guess what - I already have that turnover press - bought it from Ross for $6-8 for a set of 5 sizes I think!
July 2nd, 2009 at 3:06 pm
Can you freeze these after you baked them? I would freeze them before they were baked. Like the Pepperridge Fartm ones, for the freshest taste. Freezing them after baking, would work, but they wouldn’t taste quite as fresh Mary @ KAF
July 2nd, 2009 at 3:35 pm
Could yogurt be substituted for the sour cream. I suppose with the butter and all, it is silly to be too concerned about it, but yogurt is something I usually keep on hand, so would be able to try these before my next shopping trip . . .
I did try your Classic Puff Pastry recipe, and it produced some beautiful turnovers if I do say so myself. However, it was a 3-day project! (If I weren’t at work most of the day I could have done it in 2) So this alternative is quite appealing. Thank you! I think it would work. I haven’t tried it. It is the fat that helps make the flakiness. Try it and let us know how it comes out. Mary @ KAF
July 2nd, 2009 at 5:06 pm
OK, I’m inspired! My new kitchen aid 600 just arrived today, and I’m putting together a big KAF order. These look so good, I added ClearJel and the turnover thingy (very slick) to the order!
I’m looking forward to trying the pastry–I’ve done the take up your entire weekend puff pastry thing and, while lovely and tasty, WAY too much work! Do you think it would work for croissant?
WHOOEEE Jeri - a new KitchenAid? Be still my heart! You’re going to have fun, fun, FUN. I was thinking, would this make croissants - I’m thinking - maybe - somehow, it seems too “shardy” and not “doughy” enough, but give it a try. Mini-croissant would be better, probably, than big ones. Let us know - PJH
July 2nd, 2009 at 6:18 pm
Hey, this is unrelated, but I just made the Classic Buttermilk Waffles recipe from the site and had a total disaster. They were delicious, but came off the iron as hash, pretty much. In SHREDS. Out of the three batches the halved recipe made, one was dark, crispy, and shredded, and the others, lighter, and still stuck. In desperation, at the end I stuck a cube of butter in the iron, thinking it was how greased it was. No. They -still- stuck. I did sub veg. oil for the melted butter, since I didn’t have quite enough in the house. Could that have been what went so, so wrong?
WOW - sorry about the disaster! Sounds like an issue with your greasing. Did you grease the iron with non-stick vegetable oil spray? Butter will actually make things stick, as the milk proteins in it turn glue-like when heated. That’s why you’ll often see recipes for sautéing that include oil along with the butter. So if you greased your iron with butter, clean it thoroughly; and next time, grease it well with vegetable oil spray; and make sure it’s good and hot before adding the batter. Hope this helps - PJH
July 2nd, 2009 at 7:20 pm
These look wonderful. My husband asked the other day if I would make him some apple turnovers. So I’ll look around online for an apple filling. I’ll make raspberry for me and apple for him.
July 2nd, 2009 at 7:55 pm
Oh YUM. Now, PJ, make my life: what do you think of these with a nutella or nutella+chopped hazelnut filling?
Nutella/chopped hazelnut for sure - nuts will give the filling more body, less “oozability.’ Go for it! (Did I make your life?)
PJH
July 3rd, 2009 at 1:18 am
Thank you for the step-by-step pictures… (I am more of a visual learner).
This inspires me to create pineapple coconut filling for the puff pastry.
Weekend project for sure.
July 3rd, 2009 at 8:22 am
Thank you for the pictures! My great-grandma used to make fig turnovers similar to these. As I have 3 gallon-sized bags of figs in my freezer, I’ll be trying this recipe this weekend. Should I treat the figs as you did the berries in your version? Also, can I use some WW Pastry flour in the recipe?
Thanks again for your wonderful tips and products.
Allison, my sense is the figs will need a lot more cooking han the raspberries, and I doubt they’ll need thickening. Just chop, mix with some water, and cook slowly till pasty. And sure, throw in some ww pastry flour - try maybe 1/3 of the total flour? It’ll make the dough a bit more difficult to work with, and the pastries not quite as puffy, but should work - have fun! PJH
July 3rd, 2009 at 9:01 am
Can these be frozen prior to baking? If so, should they be thawed before baking?
Yes, Jill, freeze them all shaped. No, no knead to thaw - just give them maybe 5 additional minutes in the oven - enjoy! PJH
July 3rd, 2009 at 9:35 am
These look fantastic! I’m thinking of trying blueberry with a touch of lemon.
Quick question: would the larger size of turnover press work for pasties?
Thanks
Yes, it would definitely work for pasties, Jarrett - go for it! PJH
July 3rd, 2009 at 10:11 am
Wow….I can’t say anything more than what the others have said. They say a picture is worth a thousand words..I read..and copied the recipe then thought I would look at the blog and boy ! was I impressed ! ! ! ! Just seeing it makes it a lot more enticing to try out. I bought some of those turnover maker thingys along time ago and have not really used them but this recipe makes me want to go and get started. I am glad you came up with a recipe that doesn’t take the 3 day…or all day long version of puff pastry. I did that years ago when my kids were little. They were fantastic but now that I am older..and hopefully wiser…I appreciate a shorter version.. Thanks again..
July 3rd, 2009 at 10:29 am
I am just new to your web site and checked out this recipe. I have NEVER seen better instructions and photos to help us through the process. It’s almost like being right there with you and gives me confidence to try more than my usual recipes.
Your entire site is awesome and everybody is so helpful. Take care.
Thanks so much, Judi - education is one of our main missions. I think of this not so much as a blog, but as “instant tutorials” - over 250 of them, so settle back, you have a ot of reading to do! Enjoy - PJH
July 3rd, 2009 at 10:35 am
Oh my!! These sound fantastic. A couple of times a year I do a weekend get away with some girlfriends, and these would be an awesome addition to brunch for one of those weekends. The next one isn’t until September. I’ll have to make a “practice” batch sometime between now and then. I have fresh blueberries in the fridge right now, and some of last year’s raspberries in the freezer. I want to make them now!!!
I even have Nutella and hazelnuts like another commenter mentioned!!! mmmmm
July 3rd, 2009 at 10:46 am
I love the idea that the blitz puff pastry can be prepared ahead of time, and that the raspberry filling can too. I like doing things in stages, especially when I am very busy at our bed and breakfast. We grow tons of raspberries (well, maybe not TONS) and I usually freeze them until I have enough for jam. I can easily pick three cups for these turnovers, and will do so as soon as they ripen! I have Demerara sugar on hand and have been sprinkling it on my scones before baking. Is that an OK substitute for the sugar topping you suggest?
Of course, Demerara is fine - it’s simply the tan version of the white sugar I use. Very attractive! And tasty, too… PJH
July 3rd, 2009 at 10:56 am
Just the thing for the blueberries in my fridge–I have some frozen raspberries too, so maybe in the spirit of the holiday, I’ll do both!
July 3rd, 2009 at 11:14 am
Wow! Amazing! My family will just love these! Thank you so much for sharing! I just love this website and this blog! =:D
Blessings!
~Miss Rachel~
July 3rd, 2009 at 11:34 am
Loved your commentary, (sounds like a Brit ?) Going to buy the plastic thingys
Yeah, they work nicely, Tina. No Brit - American, born in Wisconsin, Irish-Norwegian…
PJH
July 3rd, 2009 at 12:28 pm
Does the dough have a sour cream taste to it after baking? My husband hates sour cream in anything but he loves turnovers and especially ones filled with raspberries. Could I substitue something else for the sour cream?
Don’t substitute - there’s no sour cream flavor that I can taste, Pam. Just buttery/flaky… Trust me, he’ll never know if you hide the sour cream carton and he doesn’t walk in while you’re making them! PJH
July 3rd, 2009 at 12:39 pm
I’m really excited about this recipe and want to thank you for sharing it. I think it will make a great addition to brunch with friends. I have all the stuff on hand to make it including variations. No doubt there will have to be a practice batch before springing them on others.
Thank goodness freezing some of them unbaked is a great option!
Thanks again!
July 3rd, 2009 at 4:09 pm
OK now - let me wipe the drool off my chin!! Cannot wait to try these. I did have one of those “thingys” but since we moved who knows where that would be.
Cannot wait to try these - they sound awesome. Love raspberries too.
Love reading everyone’s comments about different fillings.
July 3rd, 2009 at 8:03 pm
GREAT recipe - turned out beautifully, as has basically every KAF recipe I have ever made! Love it!
One nitpick - any chance you could post measurements on the blog page? I often cook with my laptop open for recipes and it is kind of a pain to switch between the awesome blog tutorials and the proper recipe.
Hmmm… I suppose I could post exact measurements, yeah - but it would be clunky to do both weight and volume, don’t you think? Default to volume? Let me give it some more thought. What do you think, Claire? Volume? PJH
July 3rd, 2009 at 8:49 pm
These looks so good. I can’t wait to make them I am going blueberry picking tomorrow so I will have a ton of them. Should I smash them or leave them whole when I cook them? Thanks for the recipe!
Leave ‘em whole, Melisa, they’ll “smash” themselves as they cook; you’ll need to cook them longer than raspberries. Cook till they burst open and become jam-like. Enjoy - PJH
July 3rd, 2009 at 11:14 pm
Curse you, King Arthur! I made these the minute I got home from work yesterday, using frozen blueberries. All sixteen were gone by bedtime. The kids adored them. My partner, who is very, very picky about pastry, announced that she never wanted me to make another pie–just turnovers, please.
Then we started thinking about other uses for the pastry–rounds to top individual pot pies, cheese straws, spinach and feta turnovers . . . there’s no end to the possibilities.
Other possibilities abound, Melynda - all of those you mention sound fabulous. Caveat emptor: I made a basic 9″ pie with this, and it really wasn’t as good as regular pie crust. Being buried under all that bubbling filling just didn’t do it any good. I’d reserve this for the type sof things you mention. Enjoy - PJH
July 4th, 2009 at 5:12 am
Would they be even flakier with another letter fold(or two)?
Indeed - the more folds, the more layers, the more flakes. Go for it, Dwight - PJH
July 4th, 2009 at 8:46 am
I am retired and have taken over the kitchen, much to the dismay of my wife! I read your blogs regularly and have tried your other recipes with a measure of success. I will be trying out this one over the weekend, but, as I do not have the clearjel, can I use tapioca as a thickener instead. I do have cornstarch, but would like to try with tapioca if it is possible. Any adjustments if I do?
Marvin, as with cornstarch, I’d suggest cooking the filling fully. Mix the berries and sugar and tapioca till the berries start to get mushy and give up their juice; then let it sit for about 20 minutes, then heat gently till the mixture thickens. Should work just fine - PJH
July 4th, 2009 at 12:42 pm
OK so I tried this and it came out AWESOME! This is so easy-peasy! I think its the easiest way to make a flaky pastry!
I agree - certainly the foolproof, fast way to flaky-enough pastry…
PJH
July 4th, 2009 at 2:02 pm
Wow wheee those look amazing!
You guys are sure giving me a list of cool gadgets for my wishlist this year!
July 4th, 2009 at 4:56 pm
These look phenomenal. I love the idea of “casual” puff pastry. I’m currently on a blueberry craze and, based upon what you’ve said to others, it should work very nicely. I can’t wait to try these…now the real question: do I wait until I get the “thingy” or do I try making them first and again when I get the thingy. So many decisions.
Check out my blueberry fever…so great when berries are in season!
Thanks for sharing, Barbara - I’ve always enjoyed your blog. Blueberries aren’t ready here yet (that’s August), but we’re looking forward to them for sure… PJH
July 5th, 2009 at 10:20 am
Has anyone tried cherry pie in these? I haven’t used your clearjel before. I have trouble with my cherry pie coming out very runny. Would this take care of the problem?
ClearJel or Pie Filling Enhancer would definitely help your cherry pie filling, Peggy. The nice thing is, both thicken instantly; so you can cut the cherries, mix with thickener, and stir to see if it’s thick enough, or if you need to add more. Give ‘em a try - PJH
July 6th, 2009 at 3:00 am
My first attempt at pastry could not have gone better. Did a half recipe. Substituted my own homemade greek style 1% yogurt for the sour cream. Refrigerated the initial dough ball for 30 or so minutes because it was very crumbly. On the first roll out, I did 2 letter folds and refrigerated again. (Did so between risings of my beautiful buns.) Then after 30 min I did 1 more letter fold and rolled it out for cutting.
Did a fresh blueberry filling, thickened with cornstarch(and shredded Granny Smith apple). It ened up being super thick, barely oozing at all. I used 2 TB cornstarch for a pint of blueberries.
They were super flakey and very tender.
Picture at: http://s306.photobucket.com/albums/nn272/dwighttsharpe/?action=view¤t=DSC00942.jpg
Good man, Dwight! Congrats, they look gorgeous and I’m sure they were delicious… PJH
July 6th, 2009 at 8:57 am
How about a lemon filling? Do you have a recipe on the site somewhere that would work, or could I use commercial lemon curd?
Lesley, that’s an interesting question. The filling for our Classic Lemon Meringue Pie would be what you’re looking for, but it’s cooked, not baked; I’m not sure what would happen if you cooked the filling, then used it to fill the turnovers. Would the further baking liquefy it? I don’t think so, but can’t be quite sure… PJH
July 6th, 2009 at 9:31 am
Yuuummmmyyyy!! I threw this together this morning when I came home from work….easy as pie but quicker…The worst part was getting bit by the mosquitos when trying to pick 3 cups of berries.
July 6th, 2009 at 10:34 am
Can this dough be frozen before filling? I have some sour cream I’d like to use up, but I’m not ready to make the turnovers. If it can be frozen, would I just let it thaw in the refrigerator like I do other frozen puff pastry?
And thank you for the great pictures. It helps to see how “chunky” the butter is; I think I have been over blending with my pie crusts now that I see this. Also, showing the processor and mixer versions help as I don’t have a large processor. I actually still cut in my butter by hand.
Sally - Yes, you may freeze this dough and proceed as you mentioned. I also cut in my butter by hand. There are times when I am making a bigger batch when I wish I had a pastry blender (item 9748). We use that tool in our Baking Education Center classes. It is just great! Elisabeth @ KAF
July 6th, 2009 at 11:30 am
ok…you sucked me right in with those turnover presses. The edge crimping looks just gorgeous/perfect. I can’t wait to make these up and keep some (unbaked) in my freezer…and then whip them out and bake when I get unexpected company….how cool will that be?! I”ll be the coolest baker on my street! Can I also make up just the dough and then freeze that? So I don’t have to buy the pepperidge farm stuff in the box?
Deb - You certainly may freeze just the dough. It works like a charm. Let defrost in the frig for a few hours and roll to desired thickness. Elisabeth @ KAF
July 6th, 2009 at 2:05 pm
These look great, but I have a question - why no steam vents? It looks like a vent or two would keep the turnovers from popping open and oozing quite so much…or would it just ooze out the vent?
I’m going to make and freeze these with a variety of fillings to take on a family vacation - then each family member can have his/her favorite “pie” in hand. Thanks so much for another delicious idea!
Lise, go for the vents - I tried them and they didn’t make a difference, but they can’t hurt… PJH
July 8th, 2009 at 2:28 pm
I’m no cook, but I am tempted to give these a try. Do you think a little bit of cream cheese can be added along with the dollop of filling?
I think that would be a great “round 2″ experiment. Make them once as written to get a feel for how the original filling is working with the dough. Cream Cheeses can vary quite a bit in both their moisture and stabilizing gum content. I suggest you introduce the cream cheese in very small amounts, increasing as preferred. Frank @ KAF.
July 8th, 2009 at 8:00 pm
PJ, do you think that it would work to make these at night, refrigerate, then bake in the AM?
No doubt - they’d probably benefit from a nice overnight chill… PJH
July 9th, 2009 at 1:01 pm
I can’t tell you how much I’ve enjoyed this recipe! I have one of those turnover makers and have never used it-it came with some “sold on tv” sandwich maker my husband bought (actually, I’ve learned to love it in the camper)-it’s a 6″ circle but I tried it out anyway and it worked so well-very cool! I guess I have to buy the KAF set now because I’ve thought of about nine zillion things to do with them! The dough was so easy-definitly a keeper and my turnovers turned out super (despite the fact that the power went out briefly right after I put them in the oven!)
Thank you so much!!!
What a gal Deb, baking in the dark! Glad you enjoyed the recipe so much. ~MaryJane
July 9th, 2009 at 3:46 pm
Well, I really need to try these, they look great! Went to order the turnover press,but you are all out.
Any suggestions on turning this pastry into those little pastry shells (like for chicken ala king)? My kids love those, but boy are they pricey!
MaryEllen, how about if you draped them over upside-down custard cups, and baked? That should work… PJH
July 10th, 2009 at 4:37 pm
This was my first time making blitz puff pastry and I must say it was quite easy and tasty!! My husband loved the intense flavor of the filling. I’m trying to use sugar substitutes, so I used xylitol for the sugar. I’ll try agave next time. Thanks so much for such great recipes!
July 10th, 2009 at 7:35 pm
Can’t stop smiling. It feels great to have a wonderful end product after all the hard work. It’s been a year since I’ve learned about KAF, who has been a big help and inspiration to get baking. I am more confident in the kitchen when it comes to bread and pastries. This recipe is easy and muy muy tasty. There was a bit of assembly work action needed, but it was well worth it and to a point, fun. I made this pastry recipe today for the first time and it was a success. Thank you KAF. See pics.
http://s565.photobucket.com/albums/ss94/LumiereChaudeBAnna/?newest=1
WHOA, those look great! How the heck did you make the hearts! Thanks for sharing your success with us… PJH
July 13th, 2009 at 12:30 am
I saw those heart pie molds at the WS store the other day. I plan to buy some when they are on sale. They also have star shaped ones and the catalog shows cherry pie made in them.
I love raspberries and this recipe is perfect. I can make half of a recipe and freeze them. Then, for breakfast, I can bake 2 in the toaster oven. Perfect way to do baking for one.
I enjoy the blog as kitchen literature. It helps satisfy my urge to bake.
July 16th, 2009 at 10:13 am
I am going to make these today. Can I freeze the turnovers before I bake them? I want to serve them hot out of the oven but I won’t have time to make them from start to finish for brunch this weekend.
Yes, they may be frozen. Bake them directly from the freezer. Frank @ KAF.
July 17th, 2009 at 3:48 pm
I have a Nuwave oven. Can these be cooked in this oven. The heat goes up to 350. If it is about 20 min would I add another ten minutes. Would they still be flakey? Thanks, I love this blog. 10 minutes should be about right. They may not be as flaky but it’s still worth a try! Molly @KAF
July 22nd, 2009 at 10:29 am
I made these yesterday and used fresh strawberries out of my garden. They were fabulous. I served them at a family dinner and my Father-in-Law (a professional Swiss Baker) was so impressed and asked me for the recipe! Ta Da! They were very easy. Lots of filling leaked out and I am wondering if a few holes placed in the top would let the steam out and not so much filling.
Good job impressing your father-in-law! Holes or slashing will keep the filling from leaking but make sure you do it as you are putting it in the oven so it doesn’t have time to reseal. Molly @ KAF
August 2nd, 2009 at 9:43 pm
HELP!! is Instant CLear Jel different than Sure Jell? I made 2 batches of the filling (one blueberry) with Sure Jell and it does not seem as thick as it should be. What can I do to fix it? I was thinking of re-cooking it with cornstarch, but I’m afraid it will be overcooked. Any suggestions? Thanks.
No, they’re not the same thing, Fran - different manufacturer, minimum. I’m not sure what Sure Jell is, but I assume it does the same thing as ClearJel - thickens things. I’d imagine, with your result, that Sure Jell doesn’t have as much thickening power? I think at this point your only choice is to simmer it to the thickness you like, or add some cornstarch mixed with water and cook briefly. Don’t worry - it’ll still taste good. PJH
August 3rd, 2009 at 8:45 am
PJ.
SURE JELL IS FRUIT PECTIN USED FOR MAKING JAMS AND JELLIES. AFTER A NIGHT IN THE CHILL BOX IT IS NO THICKER BUT STILL VERY YUMMY. AFTER WORK I WILL TRY TO REHEAT WITH CORNSTARCH TO THICKEN. I ALSO ADDED A BIT OF FRESH GRATED NUTMEG TO MY MIX.
THANKS FOR YOUR HELP.
The nice thing about Instant Clear Gel is that it thickens as soon as it touches liquid. Take a look at the recipe for Fresh Raspberry Pie. Joan@bakershotline
August 5th, 2009 at 12:01 pm
This recipe looks great!! I have been trying to find a recipe for croissants. I saw the flaky layers and I wonder if I can use this recipe for it. Any suggestions? Thank you so much for your time.
Kesha - You could try using this recipe but I do not think it will hold up very well as traditional croissant dough is a yeasted dough. The many layers of dough and butter and the presence of yeast helps to deliver those flaky layers we all enjoy in a croissant. It is a tedious and can be a daunting process but can be very rewarding too! I don’t want to discourage you so try using the turnover dough and write us back. We’d love to hear the results. Elisabeth @ KAF
August 6th, 2009 at 11:08 am
I did wind up adding the cornstarch to my fruit and it worked out fine. I baked a few as a test batch and boy are they great. My husband loved them with his morning coffee. I froze the rest of them to bake off for an upcoming family reunion. One additional comment is that I had way more fruit filling than I had dough so I just kept making more dough to use up all the fruit. I still have one batch of the fruit filling left so I plan on trying the recipe for Tasy Toaster Tarts.