Flaky Apple Turnovers

A few weeks ago Ken and I spent an afternoon at Aamodt’s Apple Farm in Stillwater, MN. It was one of those rare, beautiful fall days where the sun was shining and the air was crisp and cool, perfect weather for wandering around the farm in a long sleeve and cozy scarf. By the time we left, we had gathered our fair share of apples, fresh cider and a bottle of Vignoles, a grapefruit and peach white wine, one of my favorites from St. Croix Vineyards, also located at the apple farm.

On the coattails of a fun, apple-filled Saturday, I thought I’d make some apple turnovers for breakfast the next morning. I love this recipe from Big Oven. It’s husband-approved, and so perfect for this time of year. Not to mention, the phyllo dough makes you look like you know a thing or two in the kitchen (even if you don’t). The only change I like to make is to cut the amount of lemon zest in half, as I like to let the apple and cinnamon flavors take center stage.

People often shy away from phyllo dough because they think it’s too hard to manage or perhaps above their skill level, but take it from someone with no training, except for a high school home-ec class or two, you can do this! Here are a few tips I find make working with phyllo dough a little easier:

• Make sure to follow the package instructions for proper thawing (refrigerate overnight and let sit at room temperature for an hour or so before working with it).
• Phyllo dough dries out quickly, so use a damp paper towel to keep the sheets covered while assembling each turnover.
• Don’t stress; flaking is natural. Phyllo dough is supposed to be flaky, so don’t worry if pieces flake off while you’re working with it. The end result will still be delicious and impressive!