Foodie Friday: Halfway homemade apple turnovers

As the night's grow darker, leaves turn crisp and golden and you start to dig out your winter woolies.
There is no denying that autumn is in the air...
and Christmas is just around the corner.
So my American friends go crazy for pumpkin and pinterest is just brimming with recipes...
and us Brits hanker for wholesome recipes using a fresh harvest of apples.

(source)

Now many of you know that I am married to a Belgian.
He is very patriotic to his country and for a while there was some debate over where we would end up.
Guess I won that one...for now!
So I am always secretly pleased when he actually likes a British dish.
So far on his list are...
1) Fish and chips (he's not a mushy peas fan though)
2) Pork pies
3) Yorkshire puddings (although his first time trying them he did put golden syrup on them!)
4) Tea
5) Apple crumble and custard

So with the last one in mind I wondered what other apple flavoured dish I could make him and came upon a great recipe for very easy apple turnovers.
He now requests them often on lazy Saturday mornings or stressful Sunday nights when he experiences back to school blues.

Apple Turnovers 

2 medium apples - peeled, cored, and diced (try using two different varieties)

2 Tablespoons butter

1/3 cup brown sugar

1 Tablespoon cornflour

1 Tablespoon lemon juice

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1/8 teaspoon ginger

1/8 teaspoon nutmeg

1 teaspoon vanilla (I like to use the good quality vanilla bean stuff)

1 egg white

1 Tablespoon water

1 (17.3 ounce) package frozen puff pastry sheets, thawed

1) Heat oven to 180 degrees. Grease a baking tray.

2) Melt butter in a heavy bottomed pan over medium heat. Add apples and cook 2 minutes, stirring occasionally. 

3) Add brown sugar, cinnamon, cornstarch, ginger, nutmeg, and lemon juice. Cook and stir for three minutes until the apples are tender and sauce is thickened. 

4) Remove from heat and add the vanilla. Cool slightly. 

5) Meanwhile, unfold pastry sheet on a lightly floured surface. Pinch together seams if necessary. With a sharp knife, cut each sheet into four squares. 

6) Mix the egg white and water in a small bowl and brush the edges of the pasty squares with egg wash. Spoon 1/8 of the mixture into the center of the 1 pastry square. Fold pastry in half diagonally and pinch the edges with a fork to seal. Repeat with remaining squares. 

7) Bake at 180 degrees for 14-16 minutes until the top is puffed and nicely browned. Remove turnovers from the pan to a wire rack and cool for ten minutes.

Vanilla Glaze

1 cup powdered sugar 

2 Tablespoons milk

1 teaspoon vanilla

In a small bowl, combine powdered sugar, milk, and vanilla. Mix to a smooth, thick consistency. Add more milk to thin, if necessary. Drizzle glaze over warm turnovers and serve. 

*Apple Turnovers are best served the same day as baking. They can be reheated in a 180 degree oven for 5 minutes to bring back that fresh out of the oven taste!

(adapted from a recipe from Sumo's Sweet Stuff)

They are really easy - so try them and let me know what you think!
Whether or not they compare to pain au chocolat or frites I shall leave that up to you...