French Apple Turnovers -- #recipe from @LeslieBudewitz

LESLIE BUDEWITZ: “Oh, you’re going to Paris!” one of Mr. Right’s patients told him before our trip in January 2020. “You have to have chaussons aux pommes!” “What are they?” he asked. “Oh, so good,” she replied. “My favorite!” 

A great endorsement, to be sure, but he still had no idea what they were.

Chaussons aux pommes – said show-sahn oh pom – are simply puff pastry apple turnovers, from the French chausser, to turn, and pomme, apple. They’re super easy and super yummy. And you don’t have to go to Paris to enjoy them, although they are a staple in most boulangeries (bakeries). Like many French hotels, ours had a Nespresso-style coffee maker in the lobby and if we were in the hotel late afternoon, we loved making a cup. And with the turnover? Ooh-la-la!

Most French apple recipes don’t call for cinnamon, but a sprinkling will give the filling a little more depth and bring out the apple flavors. 

One thing I think we’ve all agreed on here is that using frozen puff pastry isn’t “cheating.” It makes it possible for home cooks to easily make treats like this, to travel anywhere we like through cooking, and to show people we love them, through making them good food.

If you missed the cover reveal in my latest newsletter, scroll down for a peek at the gorgeous cover of BLIND FAITH (written as Alicia Beckman), coming this fall from Crooked Lane Books.  

Chaussons aux pommes – French Apple Turnovers

For the pastry:

1 14- to 16-ounce package frozen puff pastry (typically 2 sheets, depending on brand), thawed

1 egg, beaten to blend (for glaze)

Sparkling or crystal sugar (for topping) 

For the filling:

3/4 pound Granny Smith apples (2 medium)

3/4 pound Golden Delicious apples (2 medium)

1/4 cup water

3 tablespoons sugar

3/4 teaspoon fresh lemon juice

½ teaspoon cinnamon or cinnamon blend (optional)

While the puff pastry is thawing (about 40 minutes), prepare the filling. Peel and core the apples, and roughly chop them into 1-inch pieces (about 4 cups). Place apples in medium saucepan, with the water, 3 tablespoons sugar, and lemon juice. Bring to boil, stirring occasionally until sugar dissolves. Stir in the cinnamon if you’d like to use it. Cover; reduce heat to medium-low and simmer until apples are very tender, stirring frequently, about 12 minutes. Remove from heat. The apples should be soft but a little chunky. Allow to cool while the pastry continues to thaw. 

Heat oven to 400 degrees. Line 2 baking pans with silicon sheets. 

On a lightly floured surface, roll each piece of thawed pastry into a 12" square. Cut each piece into 4 - 6" squares and place on the baking sheets. Divide the filling between the squares (about 2 tablespoons each). Flatten slightly, being careful not to spread to the edges. Working with one square at a time, lightly brush the edges of one square with the egg wash. Fold half the square over the filling, forming a triangle. Press and pinch pastry edges with your fingertips to seal tightly; press with the tines of a fork. Lightly brush pastry with beaten egg. Sprinkle lightly with crystal sugar. Repeat with remaining squares. Use a sharp, thin knife to cut 3 small slits on the top of each triangle to allow steam to escape. Refrigerate until firm, about 15 minutes.

Bake turnovers until beginning to color, about 15 minutes. Reverse baking sheets from top to bottom and turn them. Reduce oven temperature to 350 degrees and continue baking until turnovers are firm and golden, 10 to 15 minutes longer. 

Cool 10-15 minutes before serving. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Makes 8.

Bon appetit!

From the cover of BLIND FAITH, written as Alicia Beckman (Crooked Lane Books, October 11, 2022)  

Long-buried secrets come back with a vengeance in a cold case gone red-hot in Agatha Award-winning author Alicia Beckman’s second novel, perfect for fans of Laura Lippman and Greer Hendricks.

Two women whose paths crossed in Montana years ago discover they share keys to a deadly secret that exposes a killer—and changes everything they thought they knew about themselves. 

Leslie Budewitz is the author of the Food Lovers’ Village Mysteries and the Spice Shop Mysteries, continuing in July 2022 with Peppermint Barked. She's the winner of Agatha Awards in three categories. Death al Dente, the first Food Lovers' Village Mystery, won Best First Novel in 2013, following her 2011 win in Best Nonfiction. Her first historical short story, "All God's Sparrows," won the 2018 Agatha Award for Best Short Story. As Alicia Beckman, she writes standalone suspense, beginning with Bitterroot Lake (2021) and continuing with Blind Faith (October 2022, Crooked Lane Books).

A past president of Sisters in Crime and a current board member of Mystery Writers of America, she lives in northwest Montana with her husband, a musician and doctor of natural medicine, and their cat, an avid bird-watcher.

Swing by her website and subscribe to her seasonal newsletter, for a chat about the writing life, what she's working on, and  what she's reading -- and a free short story. And join her on Facebook where she shares book news and giveaways from her writer friends, and talks about food, mysteries, and the things that inspire her.