Apple Pockets

If you've ever had a chausson aux pommes, an apple turnover, an apple-pocket or any other crusty, flaky, hand-held apple-filled pastry, you know how wonderful it is when you bite through the crispy outside and hit that thick, sweet apple filling.  Hungry?  We made some quick and simple pastries this week. 

This all began with four apples that had been in the crisper a little too long.  We peeled them, cut off the bad spots, chopped them roughly into 1/2 inch cubes and put them in a sauce pan with 2 TB of butter, 2 TB sugar and a dash of cinnamon and a little cardamom.  While they cooked, we got some eggs ready and rolled out the puff pastry that had been sitting on the counter for a while, warming up to room temperature.

When the apples started to get a little soft around the edges and juicy, I sprinkled about 1 TB corn starch over the pan, stirred and cooked it for a moment longer to let the juices come together to a filling-like consistency then took it off the heat to cool a bit.

We rolled the dough out to about 14 x 16 inches and cut it into 8 long rectangles (cut once down the middle, along the longest dimension, then cut each half into 4 slices).

Using one lightly beaten egg, my daughter painted a frame around each rectangle and I put a heaping spoonful of apples in the middle (a little shy of 1/4 cup).

My son folded the pockets over and crimped the edges with a fork.  Then she painted the top of each pocket with more egg wash and he sprinkled sugar on the tops.

Into the oven (375*) for about 16 minutes and they came out looking lovely...

I'd be embarassed to tell you how quickly these disappeared.  Let's just say I don't have a lot of tips about storage for these treats!

Apple Pockets (makes 8)

Let one sheet of frozen puff pastry come to room temperature (10-30 minutes, depending on location)

Set the oven to 375*

Peel and cut 4 apples into 1/2-inch pieces

In a saucepan, combine:

apples

2 TB butter

2 TB sugar

1 tsp ground cinnamon

1/4 tsp ground cardamom

Cook over medium-low heat until the apples are soft around the edges and release their juice, about 10 minutes.  Sprinkle 1 TB cornstarch over the pan and stir.  The sauce should become thick.  Remove from heat and cool.

Roll out the dough on a lightly floured surface until you have a sheet about 14x16 inches.  Cut into 8 long rectangles.

Assemble as described above.

Bake on a parchment-lined cooking sheet (jelly-roll pan with edges is best) until golden brown on top, about 15 minutes.

Snow Days and Oatmeal

Snow days.  If you grew up in the midwest, or anywhere with snow for that matter, those two words have the power to evoke a smile, don't they?  Frosty days, piles of snow, tons of wet clothing, frozen extremities and the bliss of unexpected freedom, no matter the chilly cost.

Ahhhh.

That's how my kids were feeling this week, with an early dismissal and two snow days.  I, on the other hand, was frazzled.

It's different here, where a skim of snow is the norm and the "wintery mix" that accompanies it results in slippery roads, cancelled school but work goes on.

I came home the first afternoon to two very happy children enjoying a snack.

"It's my famous oatmeal!"  my son proudly declared.

"Let me guess - there's pepper in it!?"

"Yup.  And apples and bananas.  No raisins becuase she doesn't like them and crasins are optional.  Except you ran out."

"Is it good?"  I asked my daughter, who never hesitates to provide an honest opinion.

"Yes."

My son chattered on, "They said they're going to cancel school tomorrow too!  Can I make lunch?"

Well, well.  How could I say no?

I came home the next day, just after lunch and looked in the kitchen sink. Orange and purple swirls were floating in the bowls, it didn't look like food, exactly. I wish I'd taken a picture. Instead, my sanitary-self went into immediate hyper-drive and I started doing dishes.


"What exactly did you make for lunch?"

"Macaroni and cheese with tomatoes and jelly." No big deal, mom.

"It was good," my daughter volunteered.  "Want to try my hot chocolate?" She walked into the kitchen and offered me a spoonful from her santa mug. I sipped. It was chocolate, with something else...

"Hum. What did you put in there? Pepper?"

"Yes. And the juice from two cherry tomatoes."

Right. That was the something else.

Whoever said education stops when they cancel school?

Snow days. Gotta love 'em.

Kiddo's Famous Oatmeal
(serves two)

Prepare two packets of instant oatmeal according to the directions.
Peel and chop one apple.
Slice one banana.
Add half of each fruit to each bowl.
Rasins and dried cranberries are optional.
Add ground pepper to taste.
Enjoy!

Baked Apples - Not Quite There Yet....

I like the way these photos show the evolution of our baked apples:

You'll notice that these apples somehow managed to be half-firm, half-collapsed.  I'm befuddled.  We used the same recipe before and the apples were fantastic.  This time, they weren't.  And neither kid is interested in eating the leftovers (that was most decidely not the case last time around!)

We'll have to get back with you on this one.

In the meantime, back to Thanksgiving preparations!

Wolf River Apples

It's time for summer apples around here - those small, early ones that are just starting to ripen.  I got these at the farmer's market on Saturday from a couple who were displaying several baskets of little apples with different names.

Ever since I read Michael Pollen's book The Botany of Desire, I've wanted to discover and taste new varieties of apples.  Even with the newly expanded collection of apples at the store (Jazz, Ambrosia, Honey Crisp) I can't help but wonder how different our apple choices would be if the Golden and Red Delicious hadn't been so perfect for...grocery stores.

So of course, I was a sucker for the hand-written sign next to these lovelies:

Wolf River Antique Apples - Best for Pies

I  cut out the cores and the little worm holes and sliced them up.  I love slicing apples for pies.  One summer, I worked in a bakery - minimum wage, no training - and loved it.  It was consistently 120 degrees in the back of this small place, no place to sit but the sacks of flour, which are not as soft as you might imagine, and lots of repetitive tasks, like washing pots and pans over and over.  I loved it.  That's where I learned to make apple pies, peel an apple skin off in one piece and get pretty even slices in a flash (but that's a story for another post!).  Back to Wolf River....

Uncooked, they had a slightly citrus, starchy flavor.  We ate a few slices with some New Moon Cheese from Chapel Hill Creamery (my favorite!) and they were great against the fresh creamy taste of the cheese.

I tossed the apples with some butter, brown sugar, oats and cinnamon, covered them and put them in the oven at 375.  My best guess at a recipe on this one:

5 small apples, sliced

2 TB butter, melted

1/4 cup brown sugar

1 tsp cinnamon

1/2-3/4 cups oats (rolled, not quick)

They baked for about 20 minutes and the apples got pretty steamy in the dish - they might have stayed more firm if I'd peeled them, but I like the skin.  They were not a juicy apple, keeping a relatively firm texture in spite of the steam, so I do think they'd be "best in pies".  Next time, I'd add a little salt to bring out their flavor more, and maybe experiment with some of the curry/pepper/spicy combinations I've seen drifting from dinner into dessert lately.

Worth the adventure.  Can't wait to see what kind of apples they have next time.