Apple Baskets

You know a little while back when I promised that I would have a series of apple dessert recipes for you? Well, I finally came through.

When I made my turnovers I had too much leftover filling, so I thought to myself (anyone else think of "A Wonderful World"??), what else can I do with these apples?

And then this happened.  Plus ten for Anika. Also to get the basket shape you need muffins pans. It's not actually an ingredient but a tool, which is why I'm awkwardly letting you know here.

Apple Baskets

Makes 12 apple baskets

1/4 cup melted butter

1 1/2 cups chopped, peeled green apples

1/4 tablespoons sugar

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
4 phyllo sheets, thawed

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit

2. Separate each phyllo sheet and brush with the melted butter. Lay the buttered sheets on top of each other until all four sheets are stacked up evenly. Phyllo sheets dry out really easily so cover with a damp towel when you aren't attending to them.

3. Cut the phyllo sheet evenly into 12 squares/rectangles and press into the muffin cups. They don't have to fit perfectly and if there is a lot of phyllo hanging off the muffin cup, trim it down so the phyllo sheets actually fit. I also don't think I'm explaining this step clearly so check out this phyllo cup tutorial that I Googled that has step by step pictures! Also in this recipe we bake the phyllo cups with the filling at the same time, and it produces the same result.

4. To prepare the apple mixture, combine the sugar, apples, walnuts, and cinnamon in a medium sized bowl. Toss well so the apples are evenly coated.

5. Place a heaping spoonful of the apple mixture into each pastry cup.

6. And now you can bake them until light golden brown and crisp (approx. 10-15 minutes)! Serve immediately. 

TIPS:

I noticed the longer I kept them out after the baskets were baked, the soggier they became. So eat them when they pop out of the oven!! I also ate mine with vanilla ice cream because there is something about cinammon-y apples that just calls for vanilla ice cream.  You don't have to of course, but just thought I'd discretely implant the idea in your head. Don't worry the ice cream was your original idea.

Apple Turnovers

My garden at home has a large, bountiful green apple tree and every year we get tons of fruit. We try to spread the wealth as much as possible but realistically some fruit goes to waste. Being the resourceful person I am, I decided to take the leftover fruit and cook em! This is the first in my series of apple desserts :)

I love tart apples so I didn't use too much sugar when I baked my turnovers.  The cinnamon sugar on top makes the perfect balance between tart and sweet! I also made my turnovers rectangular simply because it was easier to roll out. Thinly slice your apples because if the apples are too chunky they will not fully cook through. My final suggestion is to serve the turnovers warm with ice cream :D Cause honestly, every warm apple dessert tastes a million times better with a classic vanilla ice cream.

Apple Turnovers

Serving Size: 8 turnovers

1 package (17.3 ounces) puff pastry sheets, thawed

1 1/2 cups chopped, peeled green apples

1/4 cup sugar

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 cup chopped walnuts

Water & Flour

TOPPING:
2 tablespoons butter, melted
1 tablespoon sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1. In a large bowl, combine the sugar, apples, walnuts, and cinnamon. Toss well so the apples are evenly coated.

2. On a lightly floured surface roll out eat pastry sheet to half of the original thickness. Cut each individual sheet into four squares for a total of 8 turnovers. 

3. Spoon the apple mixture  into the center of each rectangle. Dip your fingers in water and with your wet fingers trace the border of the puff pastry sheet. (The water helps seal the pastry sheet!)
4.  Fold the rectangle in half and press edges to seal. To make the edges pretty, you can use a fork to crimp corners of the pastry.
5. In a small bowl, stir the ground cinnamon and sugar. Brush the pastries with the melted butter and liberally sprinkle the sugar cinnamon mixture. Place turnovers on a lightly greased baking sheet and bake at 400 degrees until golden brown (approx. 12-15 minutes).