Apple Cheddar Turnovers
Submitted by spartanbarb
Apple cheddar turnovers: whole baked apples stuffed with brown sugar and cinnamon, wrapped in a sharp cheddar pastry. A New England classic riff on apple-and-cheese.
YIELD
12 servingsPREP
20 minCOOK
35 minREADY
60 minThere’s an old New England saying: “apple pie without cheese is like a kiss without a squeeze." These turnovers take that pairing to its logical end by working sharp cheddar directly into the pastry dough itself. The cheese melts into the flour and shortening, producing a flaky, savory crust that wraps around a whole spice-stuffed apple.
The technique is more whole-apple-dumpling than turnover. Each peeled, cored apple gets stuffed with brown sugar, cinnamon, and butter, then enveloped in a 7-inch square of cheddar pastry with the four corners pinched at the top. They come out looking like little pastry-wrapped Christmas presents.
Use a sharp aged cheddar for real flavor impact. Mild cheddar disappears into the dough; sharp cheddar pushes back against the sweetness of the apple and brown sugar.
Firm baking apples are essential. Granny Smith, Honeycrisp, or Braeburn hold their shape through the 30-minute bake; softer eating apples collapse and turn the dough soggy from the inside out.
Serve warm from the oven, with whipped cream on top. The cheese flavor is most pronounced when the pastry is still hot.
Kitchen Tips
- Shred the cheese yourself off the block. Pre-shredded cheese is coated with anti-caking starch that interferes with how cleanly the dough comes together.
- Cold ingredients are critical. Chilled cheese, cold shortening, and ice water make the flakiest pastry. Warm dough turns greasy and tough.
- Pinch the dough seams hard. Sugary fillings will leak through any weak spot during baking.
- A scoop of vanilla ice cream is the right alternative if whipped cream feels too fussy.
Variations
- Add a tablespoon of finely chopped walnuts or pecans to the brown sugar filling for crunch.
- Stir ¼ teaspoon of nutmeg or cardamom into the sugar mixture for warmer spicing.
- Drizzle the cooled turnovers with a thin glaze of powdered sugar and maple syrup for a sweeter bakery-style finish.
Ingredients
Directions
Heat the oven to 425 degrees F.
Combine the flour and salt, mixing well, then cut in the shortening until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs.
Sir in the cheese and sprinkle with water while mixing lightly with a fork, (from 6 to 8 tablespoons of water maybe required), continue mixing until dough makes a ball.
Divide the dough into three equal portions and roll each portion, on a lightly flour surface, into a 14 X 7-inch rectangle.
Cut each rectangle into 2 7-inch squares.
Combine the brown sugar and cinnamon, then fill the centers of the apples topping each apple with butter.
Sprinkle the remaining brown sugar mixture over the pastry.
Place an apple in each square and fold the corners to the center, pinching the dough at the top of the apple to seal.
Bake in the preheated oven for 30 to 35 minutes.
Top with whipped cream.
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