APPLE & PEACH TURNOVERS with Homemade Sour Cream Pastry

March 30th, 2022

~~~~

Peaches are most revered during the height of summer when they are best eaten with their juices running down your chin. However, they also have a resurgence in autumn, including late-season varieties such as Golden Queen and Black peaches.

Until last year we had both of these varieties in the garden. The Black peach came first from a self-germinated seedling dug up at a friend’s property. I planted it with little hope, squished between the fence and a dwarf apple tree thinking not much would come of the spindly seedling. Little did I know it would grow to be our most productive late-season peach. A Golden Queen peach planted a few years later hasn’t been a great fruiter. It was unfortunately positioned too much in the shade of the magnolia tree that grows through our deck nearby,

In fact, the lack of fruit on the golden queen for the last 3 years meant my husband eventually (after much debate) took the chainsaw to it. When working within an 800m2 property we don’t have the luxury of space if we want to have a productive harvest. So if a tree isn’t producing it has to go – sadly, as I do love this peaches variety but luckily have access to a neighbourhood tree. And the space left by the peach tree won’t be empty for long with plans to plant a Sturmer (Pippin) nearby to avoid the shade from the magnolia (update 2023: it was a non-astringent persimmon that ended up in this space after all). This is a versatile heritage apple that we love for eating and cooking, plus it’s a good keeper.

I used the last of the Black peaches combined with the dwarf apple nearby to make the flaky pastry turnovers that follow.

Apple & Peach Turnovers with Sour Cream Pastry

Using sour cream in homemade pastry is a kitchen hack for semi-flaky pastry. Although, admittedly, not quite as flaky as butter-layered puff pastry. If you are after extra flaky pastry, or you like the sound of these pastries but not the “making-pastry-from-scratch” part, then use a packet of frozen butter puff pastry, adding an extra tablespoon of sugar to the filling. The other benefit of using sour cream is the inclusion of its lactic cultures, which to some degree (depending on how long the dough is left to rest), sour and soften the starch in the flour, giving the pastry a more tender crumb. *If peaches are unavailable, use frozen berries or an extra apple.

Servings 10 turnovers

Prep Time 30 minutes mins

Cook Time 20 minutes mins

Pastry Resting Time 30 minutes mins

Ingredients

• 1¾ cups (260g) plain flour (can also use spelt flour, or mix of white and wholemeal flours)
• 2 tbsp raw sugar + extra for sprinkling
• Pinch of salt
• 150 g cold butter, cut into 1cm cubes
• ½ cup (125g) sour cream
• 2 small apples, peeled, cored and cut into 1cm cubes
• 2 late-season peaches, stones removed and cut into 1cm cubes
• 1 tbsp sugar
• 1 tbsp lemon juice
• 1 tsp cornflour or tapioca flour (starch)
• 1 egg, beaten

Instructions

• Place the flour, sugar and salt into a food processor (or bowl) and add the cubed butter. Pulse the processor (or rub with your fingers if making by hand) until the mixture resembles coarse breadcrumbs. Add the sour cream and pulse/mix again briefly until the dough holds together when pressed between your fingers. If it feels dry add 1-2 teaspoons of extra sour cream until it holds together.
• Tip onto the bench and very briefly knead into a cohesive ball - don’t over-knead, the dough will meld together as it rests. Shape into a disk, place into a covered container and rest in the fridge for a minimum 30 minutes - or overnight for the sour cream to do its magic.
• When ready to make the pastries preheat the oven to 200ºC (fan 180ºC). Line a baking tray with baking paper.
• Remove the dough from the fridge 10-15 minutes before rolling to soften a little.
• Meanwhile, prepare the fruit and place in a bowl with the sugar, lemon juice and cornflour or tapioca. Mix to combine.
• On a lightly floured bench, and using a floured rolling pin, roll out the pastry until 3mm thick. Using a 12cm wide bowl (or pastry cutter) and the tip of a small knife cut the pastry into 10 circles. Re-roll the pastry as needed until it is all used.
• Onto each pastry circle add a rounded tablespoon of the fruit mixture on one half then fold the other half over to encase the fruit and make a half-moon shape. Use a fork to crimp the sides, then cut a small cross in the top to release steam. Repeat with the remaining pastry and fruit.
• Place the pastries onto the prepared tray. Brush with the beaten egg and sprinkle each with a little extra sugar. Bake for about 20 minutes or until the pastries are golden on the top and bottom. Cool on a rack.
• Serve warm or cold, these make great lunchbox fillers.

*Recipe first published 19 March 2022 on Stuff.co.nz.