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Teach Me Tuesday: Bon Appetit’s Apple Almond Turnover

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I don’t know about you, but I have always picked up food magazines and read them like novels…back and forth…cover to cover.

Okay.  Maybe it’s just me.  But I bet you all have at least a few magazines hanging around with dog-eared pages hoping to one day try all the recipes inside.   I have boxes full of magazines (actually organized by season going back at least 10 years…I know…intervention needed) that have really exciting dishes.  I just wish I could dedicate more time to trying them!

One of my favourites (and actually the only one I have a subscription to) is Bon Appetit.  It’s cool, young, hip and full of great food ideas, recipes, restaurant info and so much more.

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This month’s edition is all about American Thanksgiving (which is really about all things fall).  Leafing through the mag when I got it in the mail, I ear marked this almond apple turnover.

So, when I was thinking about what I wanted to try, I thought “woot woot…Teach Me Tuesday!!”  Let’s make this week’s installment about a magazine rather than a cookbook!

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This is their version (of course it’s beeeautiful!!)…

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And here is mine.  Considering I’m an ammatuer in photography, I don’t think it’s all that bad!

I know we Canadians are done with Thanksgiving for this year, but if you live in the south, there is sooo much info that will make your holidays spectacular.  And for us Canadians, you will totally thank me when you grab this edition.  It has everything from soup to nuts to cranberries to mashed potatoes (and the dessert section is killer!).

In the meantime, let’s take a shot at making this work of art.  Trust me, your guests will be crying out for more!

Ingredients: 

3 large Pink Lady Apples, halved and cored (see note below)

1/4 c apple cider vinegar

1/4 c brown sugar

3/4 c water

1 vanilla bean (see notes below)

1 package frozen puff pastry

all purpose flour (about 1/2 cup or enough for dusting)

3 1/2 oz  (or about 1/3 c if you are buying it at the bulk store) almond paste (you can make this almond paste, if you can’t find it at the store)

2-4 tbsp butter

1 egg

2 tbsp granulated sugar or sanding sugar

vanilla ice cream or custard for serving

NOTES:

Apples:  Although they aren’t the easiest to find in the store year round, Pink Lady are a nice variety because they hold their shape while cooking (varieties like Macintosh get mushy).  If you can’t find them, I always find that Granny Smith or Gala are a good substitute that are available almost all year long.

Vanilla:  If want to make this recipe but can’t seem to find vanilla beans, add 2 tsp pure vanilla extract (or even better, 1 tbsp vanilla bean paste)

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If you use this kind of puff pastry, you can roll out the whole package (it’s usually in 2 pieces but you can use the whole thing).

If you use this kind of puff pastry (which I like…it’s really good quality), it will be packaged in 2 separate rolls…in this recipe, just use one roll.

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  1.  Preheat your oven to 400 degrees.  Prep your apples (use this really cool technique!).
  2. In a large (9×13″) baking dish, stir together vinegar (I know, weird, but trust those brilliant people at Bon Appetit!), brown sugar and water; mix well.
  3. If you are using a vanilla bean, you have to make a cut down the middle, then scrape out the seeds with a sharp paring knife and add them into the dish; stir again (throw the empty vanilla bean pod in there too!!)

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4.  Place the apples in the dish and pour some of the liquid over them; put them in the oven for 15 minutes.

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5.  After 15 minutes, turn the apples over and cook for another 15-20 minutes.

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6.  Reduce the oven to 375.

7.  Roll out the pastry on a lightly floured surface to form a 14 x 11 rectangle; transfer to a baking sheet that has been lined with parchment.

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8.  Roll out the marzipan into a smaller rectangle (about half or 11×4) and place it on the left hand side, leaving a border.

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9.  Layer the cooked apples, slightly overlapping, on top of the marzipan.

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10.  Now, top with butter (and a bit of the leftover drizzle that was created when the apples were baked!).

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11.  Fold the puff pastry over and seal the edges (I used a fork to make sure it was sealed) and then make a few slits in the top to let out the steam while it bakes; brush the top and edges with the beaten egg.

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12.  Sprinkle with granulated or sanding sugar (a coarse sugar that is used to top baked goods before they are baked to give it an extra crunch!)…if you choose, you can leave this step out.

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13.  Bake for about 40 minutes or until golden.

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14. Let stand for about 10 minutes and serve with vanilla ice cream!

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It’s a beautiful site, isn’t it?

It is apple season, so why not try this amazingly easy tart?

Pick up a copy of this month’s Bon Appetit.  It’s chock full of autumn (and Thanksgiving for our neighbours to the south) goodies to carry us happily into December!!