Easy Strawberry Turnover

Easy Strawberry Turnover

INGREDIENTS

• 14-16 oz vegan puff pastry, thawed according to package directions

For the Strawberry Filling:

• 10 oz Stahlbush Island Farms’ frozen strawberries
• 3 tbsp granulated sugar
• 1 tbsp lemon juice
• ⅛ tsp fine salt
• 2 tbsp cornstarch
• 2 tbsp water
• ½ tsp vanilla

For Assembling:

• 3 tbsp vegan milk
• coarse sugar, optional (Turbinado, sparkling white, or Demerara sugar)

(Optional) For the Vanilla Glaze:

• ¾ cup confectioners’ sugar
• 2 tbsp vegan milk
• ½ tsp vanilla

INSTRUCTIONS

For the Strawberry Filling:

1. Add the strawberries, sugar, lemon juice and salt to a small pot over medium-low heat. Stir the mixture until it starts to boil. Allow the filling to simmer for 5-8 minutes, stirring often. You want the berries to release their juices and concentrate a bit, but you don’t want it all to evaporate. Break up bigger berries with a spoon or masher.
2. In a small bowl, whisk the cornstarch, water, and vanilla together to make a slurry. Stir until the cornstarch is completely dissolved – any starch that is not dissolved will make lumps in your filling.
3. Pour the cornstarch slurry into the strawberries, stirring constantly to prevent burning and lumps from forming. Reduce the heat to low until the mixture begins to thicken and loses its cloudiness. Cook one more minute for the cornstarch to fully cook. Remove from heat and allow to cool to room temperature or pour into a lidded container and chill in the refrigerator until ready to use.

Assembling the Turnovers:

1. Preheat the oven to 400°F. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. Lightly dust the work surface with flour. Roll out each block of puff pastry into a 12″ (31 cm) square with a floured rolling pin, starting in the middle and rolling outward. Cut each pastry sheet into 4 squares with a sharp knife or a pizza cutter; using both blocks of pastry will result in 8 turnovers. (If you’re using pre-rolled sheets, roll them enough to flatten out the creases. If the sheets are rectangular, you may cut each sheet into 6 squares for smaller turnovers, or 4 rectangles which will later be folded into rectangles rather than triangles.)
3. Spoon 1-2 tablespoons of the cooled strawberry filling onto the middle of each square of pastry, leaving at least a ½” (1 cm.) Do not overfill or the filling will leak out. Lightly brush the borders of the pastry with milk, then fold each pastry in half diagonally so two corners meet creating a triangle. (If you cut rectangles, fold the pastry lengthwise so the 2 short corners meet.)
4. Crimp the edges firmly with a fork. If the fork is sticking to the pastry, dip the fork in flour, repeating as necessary. Brush the tops of each turnover with milk, then lightly sprinkle with coarse sugar.
5. Transfer to the prepared baking sheet. Using the tip of a sharp knife, poke 3 small slits into the top of each pastry so steam can escape. You may also use scissors to snip the small slits.
6. Bake for 15-18 minutes, or until the pastry is golden brown and puffed. Rest for 5 minutes on the baking tray then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

(Optional) For the Vanilla Glaze:

1. In a small bowl, whisk together the confectioners’ sugar and vegan milk – add a teaspoon at a time just until you get the desired thick but pourable consistency for drizzling.
2. Add the glaze to a squeeze bottle with a small round tip, or a small zip lock bag (cut a tiny corner off once filled and sealed) – or you can use a spoon to drizzle a bit of icing over each turnover.
3. Strawberry turnovers can be left covered at room temperature for about a day before becoming stale, or store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for about 5 days. The pastry will soften. To re-crisp, heat in a 350°F oven for about 5-10 minutes.