Wassail Apple Turnovers

The inspiration for this buttery and flakey turnover is the Wassail served at Fino. The spiced wassail was perfect on a cold day. I loved it so much, I knew I had to make something with it. @Wnorris3 provided me with the wassail recipe, from which I created these turnovers. Thanks for the inspiration.

Makes 36 turnovers. All photos by John Knox.

	4.5 cups apples, diced into 1/4 inch pieces. I used fuji apples.
	1/2 cup white sugar
	1/2 cup brown sugar
	1/2 cup brandy
	1/2 cup dry sherry
	1/4 cup Laird's Apple brandy
	1/4 tsp ground ginger
	1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
	1 tsp cloves (whole)
	1 tsp allspice (whole)
	1 cinnamon stick
	1 tbsp cornstarch
	2 packages frozen puff pastry dough (2 sheets per package)
	1 egg for egg wash

Filling:

Create a satchel out of cheesecloth with the cloves and allspice. Or you can put the cloves and allspice in a tea ball infuser. Combine all ingredients except for the puff pastry and egg along with the cinnamon stick and the satchel or tea ball infuser of cloves and allspice in a large pot and bring to a simmer. Don't boil the apples (that will be at the end), but simmer them for about 15 minutes. While the mixture is simmering, mix 1 tbsp cornstarch with 2 tbsp cold water. Remove the satchel or tea ball infuser and the cinnamon stick. Pour the cornstarch slurry into the apple mixture and allow to boil until the mixture begins to thicken. Remove the mixture from heat and allow to cool. You can make this mixture days in advance. Store in the fridge until ready to make the turnovers.

Preparing the turnovers:

Allow the puff pastry to thaw slightly while preheating an oven to 400 degrees. Make egg wash by beating one raw egg with 1 tablespoon of water. On a lightly floured surface, roll out the dough to stretch it out slightly. Using a pizza wheel, cut into nine squares by making two vertical cuts and two horizontal cuts. For Alton Brown's tutorial on puff pastry, watch here and here. These are not my videos. Place 1 tablespoon of filling in the center of each square. Brush inside edges of puff pastry with egg wash and fold over to make a triangle. Using a fork, seal the edges. Using the prongs going perpendicular to the puffy edges, seal by imprinting the edges with the fork. Poke a slit or two in the top of each turnover with a sharp knife. these can be baked on foil lined pans, but I prefer to move it to parchment paper lined pans at this point. Brush tops with egg wash. Bake in oven for 30 minutes or until golden brown. Serve plain or with ice cream.

I topped mine with brandy, because I can. :o)

version two