Apple Turnovers With Phyllo Dough
These delicious apple turnovers with phyllo dough are crunchy, flaky, buttery, and filled with warm, tender apples!
Servings 12
Equipment
- baking sheet
- parchment paper
- pastry brush
- saucepan
- small bowls
Ingredients
For the filling
- 4-5 medium apples (about 800-900 grams / 28-32 oz), peeled, cored, and diced into ½ inch pieces (1.27cm).
- 1 tablespoon (15g) unsalted butter
- ¼ cup (50g / 1.8oz) light brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- 1 ½ tablespoons water
- 1 ½ teaspoons ground cinnamon
For the turnovers
- 12 phyllo dough sheets (about 15 X 12.5 inches/38 X 32 cm per sheet), thawed according to instructions on the package
- ½ cup (113g) unsalted butter
Instructions
Make the filling
- In a medium saucepan, combine the apples, butter, brown sugar, cinnamon, and vanilla.4-5 medium apples, 1 tablespoon (15g) unsalted butter, ¼ cup (50g / 1.8oz) light brown sugar, 1 ½ teaspoons ground cinnamon, 1 teaspoon vanilla
- Cook over medium-low heat, slightly covered and stirring every minute, until the apples are tender. This takes between 7-10 minutes, depending on your heat source.
- Mix the cornstarch and the water together in a small bowl or cup to make a slurry.1 tablespoon cornstarch, 1 ½ tablespoons water
- Add the slurry to the apples and cook the filling until it thickens, about a minute. Take it off the heat and set it aside to cool a bit before assembling the turnovers.
Assemble the dessert
- Preheat the oven to 375℉ / 190℃. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Set it aside.
- Melt the ½ cup (113g) butter.
- Unroll the phyllo dough and lay one sheet of phyllo dough vertically on a flat surface (& make sure to keep the remaining phyllo sheets covered with a damp kitchen towel so they don't dry out).12 phyllo dough sheets
- Drizzle the sheet with melted butter all over and quickly brush the edges. (You don't have to thoroughly brush the surface, just drizzle it.)
- Fold the sheet in half vertically (longways). Then drizzle with a little more melted butter, and fold it in half again.
- Starting at the bottom, add about 1 ½ tablespoons of apple filling, one inch inside from the edges of the pointed corner (see picture tutorial in post for details).
- Fold the bottom edge of the phyllo sheet over the filling to form a triangle.
- Then fold the entire left side to seal the filling. If the apple filling is too close to the edge and you can't fold over the left edge, just nudge the filling to the right with your fingers and then fold the left side of the phyllo dough (see picture tutorial in post for details).
- Then fold the phyllo sheet, diagonally, flag-style, to form a triangle all the way to the top when you reach the end. Then place it on the prepared baking sheet.
- Repeat the process for the remaining sheets and filling. Brush the tops with the remaining melted butter and bake the turnovers for about 20 minutes, or until they are golden brown (since ovens vary, check them after about 15 minutes, so they don't burn.)
- When done, let the turnovers cool for a few minutes before serving.
- Enjoy!
Notes
- Store leftover turnovers in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days.
- You can reheat the assembled turnovers in the oven, but I would avoid heating them in the microwave because the dough gets soggy.
- To freeze, I would only do so if using fresh phyllo dough, not one that's been frozen and thawed. If you do freeze them, place them on a cookie sheet and put them in the freezer until they're firm. Then put them in an airtight container or freezer-safe bag for up to about 2 months. I also add some parchment paper between each one, so they won't stick together.
