Recipe for quick and easy apple walnut turnovers
What if you make a recipe, and after you make it you figure out exactly what you'd change, but you've used up all of the key ingredient and can't find it in the markets within 15 miles of your house, and with gas at close to $4.00 a gallon, you have to admit defeat? That's what happened with these quick and easy apple walnut turnovers, made with store-bought discos. They're delicious, just as you see them, but one thing will make them 100 percent better: chopping the filling a bit in a food processor before you stuff the dough. If you do that, you'll be able to get more filling into your discos, and, after all, turnovers are all about the filling. I wanted to make them again, to prove it to you, but Rhode Island's markets let me down. So, when you see discos in your supermarket (you'll find them in the Goya frozen foods section), be sure to stock up. I'll do that next time.
Apple walnut turnovers
From the pantry, you'll need: brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, walnuts, cornstarch or arrowroot, egg, discos or frozen puff pastry.
Makes 10. If you cannot find discos, cut out rounds of store-bought puff pastry.
Ingredients
2 apples, finely chopped
1-1/2 Tbsp brown sugar
1/2 tsp cinnamon
Pinch of nutmeg
2 Tbsp finely chopped walnuts
Pinch of kosher salt
1 tsp cornstarch or arrowroot
1 large egg
1 package discos, defrosted according to package directions
Directions
Preheat oven to 400°F. Set out a rimmed baking sheet lined with a Silpat (silicone mat) or parchment paper.
In a food processor, combine chopped apples, brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, walnuts, salt, and cornstarch. Pulse several times, until the mixture resembles a very coarse meal.
In a small bowl, make an egg wash by scrambling the egg with 1 teaspoon of water.
Fill another small bowl with plain water.
On the countertop, set out one disco. Place one heaping tablespoon of filling in the center. Using a pastry brush or your fingertip, paint the edge of the disco with water all the way around. Fold the disco in half, bringing the edges together to seal them in a half-moon shape. Crimp the edge with a fork to ensure a good seal.
Place the disco on the baking sheet, and repeat until all of the discos are filled. Paint each with the egg wash.
Bake at 400°F for 14 minutes, until the discos are nicely browned. Serve hot or at room temperature.
More recipes in The Perfect Pantry:
Apple spice cake
Cheese and red pepper empanaditas
Chocolate-mango-kiwi wontons
Turkey or chicken picadillo empanadas
Shrimp and black bean empanadas
Old-fashioned apple pie
Other recipes that use these pantry ingredients:
Grilled apple turnovers, from Panini Happy
Apple walnut gorgonzola turnovers, from Simply Recipes
Chicken and bacon empanadas, from The Gourmet Foodie Blog
Mendoza-style empanadas, from The Cooking Adventures of Chef Paz
Candy apple pie, from Ezra Pound Cake
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Good advice - I'm heading to the stores today, and I'm going to stock up on discos. I've become quite jealous of your sweet and savory pies, and it's time to give it a try.
The Pricerite near me carries a pretty full line of Goya products, I will have to take a look for the Discos.
That is good advice - stock up-and chop the filling!
ps if you haven't tried them, try the "Le Fey" brand. I prefer them to Goya - shorter ingredients list. Le Fey harder to find but I get it at Market Basket.
TW, one thing about living out here in the country is that some groceries are hard to find, and I forget that and don't stock up. Ah, well.
Jane, we don't have Pricerite, but any store with a lot of Goya products should have these in the freezer section.
Carol, no Market Basket near here but I'll look for this brand next time I pass one in the Boston area. Thanks for the recommendation.
Okay, no Goya products at all here in France but I love making it all by hand anyway. And I've been wanting to make something similar here! I think today may be the day! I think these make the best snacks!
I missed your discos article the first time around. Now my only regret is that I was just at the grocery store (w/ an *excellent* supply of Goya foods) yesterday, so it'll be next wkd by the time I'm back! Adding these to the list....
But how could it be that there aren't any ethnic groceries in Providence that carry these?
Apple Walnut Turnovers sounds like a dream right now. Looking forward to trying it out.
I am going to try this using those discs for chinese dumplings cause we don't have those discos up here in Canada. Might be a few calories less too.
You know, we do have Goya products here, but I've never seen those Discos, so now I'm intrigued. Definitely easy for something like these yummy treats. Apples & nuts all the way for me any day -- and I loved reading that old post you linked to. :)
Jamie, try these with puff pastry (which I know you can buy in France!); they work pretty well, and it's almost as easy as the discos.
Erika, there's one market that sells discos, but I'm actually more than 20 miles from Providence, so I don't get there very often. I do find them at BJs, but not on this particular day. I will surely stock up next time!
Liz, these are really delicious. Hope you try them.
Phyllis, you could use wonton skins, and make these smaller. For the wontons, you'd absolutely want to chop the filling.
Kelly, the discos come in two colors, "white" and yellow. Taste the same, so it's nice to mix them up if you're making something for a crowd.
Works for me. I've had to modify after making something myself, and I handled it just like you did.
These look so good. I wish I had one right now with a big scoop of vanilla ice cream to melt all over the top of it.
These remind me of the frozen apple turnovers my mom used to buy when we were growing up, but much tastier with walnuts and brown sugar. I haven't seen discos in the market, but will have to keep an eye out.
Curt, after growing up in cities, my move to the country has meant an adjustment in the way I shop and stock my pantry. Vanilla ice cream on a warm turnover would be delicious.
Jeanette, I find discos in the markets that carry a lot of Goya products, or in BJs.
I have to look for discos now. Hopefully not while wearing sparkly short shorts and roller skates. :) Kidding. This looks like a great recipe for feeding the hungry kids when they get home from school! Thank you for sharing. Now I'm off to find discos.
Hand pies are the best things ever, whether you make the dough or buy it. We have tons of Latino grocery store in our area, so I'm sure I can find the discos somewhere. I'll put them on my grocery list!