Little Women | Apple Turnovers

There was a momentary lull, broken by Hannah, who stalked in, laid two hot turnovers on the table, and stalked out again. These turnovers were an institution, and the girls called them ‘muffs’, for they had no others and found the hot pies very comforting to their hands on cold mornings.
Little Women
Louisa May Alcott

There's something deliciously comforting about the smell of apples and spices cooking while it rains lightly outside (ignoring the fact that it is summer and despite the rain it's still just so hot). I remember reading Little Women for the first time at a young age - it would be hard to pinpoint when I first picked it up exactly. There are faint memories though that my grandmother passed it to me to read when I was staying with her.

I spent New Years Day at the cinemas, viewing the newest adaptation of Little Women from Greta Gerwig. I absolutely adored it and can't wait to see it again - this may be the only adaptation that I've actually had sympathy for the character of Amy at all. The rest of the day was spent cooking up and eating these pastries as I flicked through my copy of the book, enjoying the small things that jumped out in memory to me.

Apple Turnovers
Makes approx. 8
Ingredients
6 granny smith apples, cored and peeled
3 tbsp raw caster sugar
2 sheets puff pastry
1 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
1/2 tsp sea salt
1 tbsp butter, melted
2 tbsp water

1. Preheat the oven to 180C and prepare 2 baking trays with baking paper or by greasing them well.

2. Dice the apples very finely, they shouldn't be more than a cm large. Place them into a medium sized saucepan along with 2 tbsp water, 1 tbsp raw caster sugar, 1 tsp cinnamon, 1/4 tsp sea salt, and 1/4 tsp of nutmeg. Cook on medium until apples have softened and the water have caramelised a little. Remove from the heat before the apples become too squishy.

3. Combine the remaining sugar, spices and salt together and mix well. Put to the side till later.

4. Lay the two sheets of puffy pastry out, slice each down the middle diagonally, and then again in each corner. In the end you should have 8 triangles of pastry.

5. Spoon the apple mix onto one side of the triangle, folding the other edge over and pressing the edges closed with the prongs of a fork. Repeat with all triangles of pastry and transfer to the baking tray.

6. Using a fork poke a few holes in the top of each, and brush well with the melted butter. Sprinkle the sugar and cinnamon mix on top before baking for around 15 minutes or until the top of the pastry is golden and brown. Enjoy!