In love with Apple Cinnamon Walnut Rough Puff Pastry Parcels … perfect for Fall
“Even if I knew that tomorrow the world would go to pieces, I would still plant my apple tree.”
Martin Luther
Day before yesterday did not begin in a good way. I woke up to find the fridge wasn’t as cold as it was supposed to be. Big S I G H … what an arduous task when I had my hands full with so much already. Transfer, spring clean, clear … and stuff the other fridge to the gills. The upside of course was the urgency to use up my frozen puff pastry which was saved up for a rainy day! Another positive was that the fridge repair man showed up within 6 hours, was a gem, fixed the fault in 10 minutes … Woot!!
I had made the puff pastry from Ottolenghi: The Cookbook a couple of weeks ago, and it was time I used it up, so I was back to Google for ideas. Saw turnovers, pop tarts, pies … and so much sweet and savoury ‘puff pastry deliciousness’ online. Also found Tarte Tatins that the boy has been on my case to make ever since he saw Meryl Streep making it in Julie & Julia! But then I saw a Dorie Greenspan ‘Flaky Apple Turnovers‘ recipe on Cream Puffs in Venice, and I knew this is just what I wanted to make…
… Dorie Greenspans adapted apple filling would happily be parceled into the Ottolenghis puff pastry. What a great meeting of 2 great cookbooks, and authors I admire. If you have the pastry ready, the rest is done in a matter of minutes. The filling is simply tossed together so that the apples are nicely coated with the flour mix. There was some butter in Dories recipe, which I completely forgot about, but we didn’t miss it in these classic and quintessential parcels. This is a simple, yet delicious sweet vegetarian pastry, good for breakfast, good for a snack … and also great for dessert. I gave it a low fat cream glaze… you can give it an egg white or yolk glaze, or maybe a milk glaze.
Puff pastry is a very versatile pastry to have on hand. A quick search online throws up infinite ways in which to use this delightful pastry. making it at home is a breeze. Do bear in mind the weather has to be cool, or cold. Summer heat and the butter will ooze out leaving you in a puddle of despair, crying copious tears. I’ve been there, so I know. For me here in North India, this is a winter pastry, indulgent and full of promise.
I did some puff pastry savoury swirls for someone yesterday, and they were winners. That post will be here soon too. Am already missing the luxury of puff pastry sitting in the fridge/freezer, and can see myself making another batch pretty soon. Yay winter, and yay Ottolenghi! Do you make your own puff pastry, or do you buy ready-made? Just curious. I have no choice but to make it; yet it isn’t as daunting as I thought it was!
More ‘Fruit in Baking‘, a passion for me as you might know, so this is also headed for this months Monthly Mingle that I am guest hosting for my spicy-sweet friend Meeta. If you are BAKING WITH FRUIT this month, do send it in to Monthly Mingle posted HERE.
Apple Cinnamon Walnut Parcels
1/2 quantity puff pastry {recipe follows}
Apple Filling {recipe follows}
Milk/Cream for glazing
Rough Puff Pastry
from Ottolenghi: The Cookbook, pg 281
{I used half portion of pastry for this recipe. I’ve used it previously in peach galettes this past summer}
300gm plain flour
1 tsp salt
180g unsalted butter, frozen
140ml ice cold water
Method for pastry:
Sift the flour and salt. Grate 80g of the frozen butter into this and mix lightly.Add the cold water, using a knife, stir the flour and water together until a dough begins to form. Now use your hands to bring it into a ball {You might need a little more water}. Press into a neat square, wrap it in cling film, and chill for 30 minutes.
Roll out on a lightly floured surface into a rectangle with a long edge 3 times its width. Grate the remaining butter and spread it evenly over 2/3rds of the rectangle.Take the third which is not sprinkled, and fold it over the middle of the buttered part, then fold the two layers over the remaining single layer. You will be left with 3 layers of pastry and 2 layers of butter separating them.
Turn the pastry by 90 degrees. Dust with flour and roll out into same proportions as first rectangle.Take one of the short sides and fold it over to reach the middle of the remaining part of the pastry. Fold the remaining third on top of the first one to get 3 layers on top of each other. Wrap pastry in cling film and chill for 30 minutes.
Repeat again 2 more times, and chill for at least an hour. The pastry will keep in the fridge for 4 days, and in the freezer for a month.
Filling:
Adapted from Baking:From My Home to Yours, Dorie Greenspan.
2 apples, chopped apples
1/2 cup walnuts, chopped
1/2 cup dried cranberries/raisins
1 tsp cinnamon powder
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 tbsp flour
Method:
Toss all the ingredients together and make sure the apples pieces are well coated with the flour.
Making the parcels:
Preheat the oven to 180C.
Roll out the puff pastry thin, trim the edges, and cut into 6 equal squares.
Place about 1-2 tbsp of the apple filling in the centre of each. Draw the four edges up to the centre, using a drop of cream to seal the corners when they meet. Place the trimmings on top of each other, gently press together, and cut out small hearts if you like. Stick the heart to the top with a drop of cream. {Don’t over stuff the parcels or they might pop open while baking}
Brush the tops of th pastry with milk/light cream, sprinkle with vanilla sugar, and bake at 180C for 15-20 minutes or until golden brown and puffy. Transfer onto a cooling rack.
Serve warm maybe with a drizzle of unsweetened light cream.♥ Thank you for stopping by ♥
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Also find me on The Rabid Baker, The Times of India
Deeba @ PAB
About me: I am a freelance food writer, recipe developer and photographer. Food is my passion - baking, cooking, developing recipes, making recipes healthier, using fresh seasonal produce and local products, keeping a check on my carbon footprint and being a responsible foodie! I enjoy food styling, food photography, recipe development and product reviews. I express this through my food photographs which I style and the recipes I blog. My strength lies in 'Doing Food From Scratch'; it must taste as good as it looks, and be healthy too. Baking in India, often my biggest challenge is the non-availability of baking ingredients, and this has now become a platform to get creative on. I enjoy cooking immensely as well.
48 Comments
Sara
Gorgeous Apple Parcels, Deeba!!! I LOVE your photography, its so mesmerizing! I recently met Dorie in NYC, she is a fabulous lady! love her!
Rosa
Those parcels look fantastic! I love that choice of filling.
Cheers,
Rosa
gloria
Deeba I vove baking too, your parcels are awesome and yummy! love them! huggs, xoxox
gloria
(thanks for visit my lemon curd)
Sandhya
These are soo DAMN CUTE !!
Love the effort n idea of doing the pastry sheet from scatch 🙂
Faith
Deeba,
You’ve done a great job creating those apple cinnamon walnut parcels. I just love all the falvour combinations! the parcels looks heanvely and to be honest. I think this belong to the art gallery! great photography.
My Little Expat Kitchen
What a great idea, “marrying” the two recipes to come up with this wonderful treat!
Magda
Ananda Rajashekar
Love the quote Deeba, wish every one thinks of planting a tree, to save our world. Oh morning refrigerator disaster, had my share of experience, but got new refrigerator replace it was bumper for the day, glad yours got fixed too 🙂 as always beautiful pic’s and this is perfect winter parcel for me!
Monique
I love the quote too..but every pretty picture.. even more..That lone yellow daisy atop the creamer:) Not to mention the parcels~
suma
Wow!! Making puff pastry at home is really something!! And the marriage of puff pastry and an apple cinnamon filling sounds way too good to my perennial sweet tooth:-)) Am now craving for this at 6.30 a.m!! Sigh!!
Sommer @ A Spicy Perspective
A gorgeous little fall treat, Deeba! Perfect for Thanksgiving.
Sharmilee
Parcel the parcels here…looks too gud 🙂
ANH
Absolutely stunning!
Anna Johnston
Deeba, I wish I lived closer to you, I’d love nothing more than to hang over your shoulder while your composing and taking your fabulous photos, I don’t think I’ve ever visited your site without oooohing & aaaahing. Beautiful recipe and do I make my own puff pastry you ask?!! Not so much anymore at home mostly because I think you can put anything onto or into puff pastry or with puff pastry & its awesome…., its a marvellous ‘go to’ ingredient (yes, the fact I call it an ingredient should give me away huh) I love the stuff; although as you say, its not that hard at all to make is it…, but yes, at work we do for sure.
Joy
Beautiful parcels! And oh my word, the photos are delicious. 🙂
I’ve had the Ottolenghi cookbook, but I totally missed the puff pastry. I’m blaming the sweet pastry crust, which is engraved on the kitchen counter now. Haha.
Maria @ Scandifoodie
I love both apple and walnuts so this is right up my alley!
Sarah, Maison Cupcake
These look super! They are so pretty! I must re-watch that film again, I enjoyed Meryl in it so much.
Lorraine @ Not Quite Nigella
Hehe if there’s on pastry that I think tastes better when its home made it’s puff pastry! I always use my best butter for it too-it makes such a difference! 🙂
Irina@PastryPal
Oh, Deeba, I wish I could say I make my own puff pastry often, but it’s really only once in a while. Here, in the New York area, it’s pretty easy to find good-quality, already-made puff pastry, so you see how my laziness might kick in. But it really is pretty easy to do, so if I was in your shoes, where there wasn’t any available, I’d be rolling up my own batches, too.
Your photos really take me away to a fantasy, to a bright, sunny european room where the sheer curtains whip in the breeze and I am so, so relaxed, munching on these apple filled pastries and daydreaming, while looking out the window. So pretty. There something about your photos that really make me feel like I’m on vacation.
Ameena
I am very impressed by this post for a number of reasons, but mainly because I can’t even manage puff pastry when it comes readymade! Making it is totally beyond me.
You are amazing!!
simply.food
Beautiful fruit parcels , they look yummy. My 1st visit here you have great space.Do drop by simply.food some time.
Amanda at Enchanted Fig
A good meeting indeed! I have a bushel of apples on my hands, 60 pounds of walnuts to crack, and an itching to make puff pastry. You’re posting of this promising recipe must be a sign! Thanks for the nudge.
bunkycooks
These are just perfect for a lovely Fall dessert on a cool evening. The flavors sound wonderful.
anushruti
Your passion for baking comes through in each and every post! This is gorgeous1
bergamot
lovely parcels…home made puff pastry is quite a task and they look really good.
Sanjeeta kk
The bundles of sheer indulgence are irresistible. Lovely clicks, Deeba.
Sally - My Custard Pie
I love rough puff pastry too but definately reserve it for the winter here in Dubai and even then put everything in the fridge beforehand….with the a/c on max!
Zita
Love your title Deeba, * Imagining the smell in the air when you’re baking these beauties.* 😉
the urban baker
this is fabulous! My fridge went out a while ago and I was so exhausted from transferring all the provisions to the outdoor fridge that I needed a nap. Good for you for taking your misfortune and turning it into a creative, delicious project. I always love your montage of photos. I need to more of that. Thanks for inspiring!!!!!!
Jamie
I am so into baking with apples these days and I’ve made not a thing yet this autumn season with cranberries, dried or fresh. This is a fab treat and I so want to make them. Love the puff pastry and will try this recipe. Gorgeous, darling, just gorgeous and a beautiful sweet for dessert, breakfast or snack. Or to help you zen out after another long trying day! xoxo
gloria
Dear Deeba, if you have time come and see my brioches, is a lovely recipe by Doris! is wonderful I think! je,je, huggs, gloria
Ben
My friend, your photography is just amazing! You succeed in making me hungry. 🙂
Kulsum@JourneyKitchen
Your pictures Deeba makes me want to come work for u! The parcels makes me want to work for u for life 😉 Such gorgeous flavors all in one parcel. ummm….
shaz
What a fantastic way to save your precious puff pastry Deeba! The last time I made my own was for that Daring Baker’s challenge. I’ve been promising myself I’ll make more again but haven’t so far. Home made beats the taste of bought hands down, which is why I don’t buy Puff pastre any more, I just skip recipes requiring puff pastry 🙂
By the way, I heard a little tweetie bird say it was your birthday yesterday? Happy belated birthday!
Bren
What a great combo. And your folds are so lovely… I could bite into this for breakfast every day of the week. But that would mean a serious treadmill workout! 🙂
Crustabakes
These are impressively good looking, and the pictures are so very beautiful. I love how neatly folded each parcels are!
bake in paris
The great thing about puff pastry is that no matter how tedious it is to make it, the baked outcome never fails to make us forget about the tediousness altogether.
These parcels have the greatest combination everyone should really try, yummy!
Sawadee from Bangkok,
Kris
Barbara
Deeba, your presentations are always amazing! I love these little packages filled with fall flavors!
Pleased your refrigerator was repaired so easily and quickly!
gloria
Dear Deeba, a lttle question, may I participate in Baking fruits with a lemon recipe?? (I think is fruit you know) if you like answer here or my blog. Thanks a lot dear, gloria xoxoxo
Deeba @ PAB
Yes of course my friend. Can’t wait to see it! Mmmmm …
ingrid
I do believe I have some puff pastry in the freezer though not homemade.
Btw, your photos are absolutely lovely!
~ingrid
Angela (Oh She Glows)
I just found your website and I am IN LOVE! You have some of the nicest photography I have ever seen. Will be back again and again.
Soma
I wish you could parcel the parcels. They are delightful Deeba!
Mia
Oh i so agree about Indian Summers , i think i will try this with the aircon full blast:-)
Only u could combine 2 genius recipes and come with a winner like this!!!
kaitlin
very special
Jeanne @ CookSister!
Oh Deeba – a tour de force, darlin’!! What a treasure trove of recipes… you truly are the hostess with the mostest!
Avanika (Yumsilicious Bakes)
Yumm I love anything baked with apples! That puff pastry looks perfect. Did you use homemade unsalted butter? I’ve yet to try making puff pastry, I hope to attack it soon, while the weather is cooler!
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