Chocolate And Pear Turnovers

Sometimes I find inspiration in the most absurd manner. Such is the story of these turnovers. Let me explain. (Disclaimer: The ‘story’ is pretty long and boring, so you may want to scroll way down if you came here for a turnover recipe!)

Do you ever binge watch any TV shows on Netflix? My latest obsession is Once Upon A Time. I am always drawn to stories filled with magic and intrigue. Once Upon A Time is based on the premise that a curse befalls fairytale land and all the characters suddenly find themselves leading ordinary lives in a small modern-day American town. There is Snow White, Prince Charming, Red, Pinocchio, Rumpelstiltskin, Belle and every imaginable character ever, albeit in a different avatar than their fairytale counterpart. And of course, there is the scheming Evil Queen, who is now the town Mayor. The Queen plans to kill Snow’s daughter by giving her a poisoned apple. To make her seem less suspicious, she bakes apple turnovers and presents the girl with one. Isn’t that genius? I mean, yes, I am all for the good side. But kudos to the Queen for this ingenious move. Well played!

And like always, this episode left me hungry. I was too lazy to immediately bake anything, but the idea stuck. I had to bake some apple turnovers when time permitted. Just when I was dreaming turnovers day and night, Naina posted a lovely version. So pretty, aren’t they? I really wanted to try some.

Now it so happened that recently I got my hands on this beauty – The Golden Book of Desserts. It is such a beautiful collection with a plethora of dainty desserts. In it I found many ideas for  turnovers. I was drooling over one in particular – hazelnut, chocolate and pear turnovers.

I had forgotten all about apples by then. Luckily, I had a few ripe pears in the fridge. I didn’t have hazelnuts, so I used almonds. I made other minor adjustments here and there, like using milk instead of heavy cream and  such, but all in all, the recipe is a keeper! I mean, can you imagine that… chocolate and pear filled turnovers?

There’s just one word – yum! It was so good. The gooey chocolate and sweet pears encrusted in flaky sheets of golden puff pastry…  you really must try this to know what I mean.

Here I am, rambling on about some TV show, beginning with apples and ending up with a chocolate-pear turnover recipe! Now, I am pretty sure this recipe can be adapted to use apples as well. Or maybe strawberries. Now, that’s a delicious thought. Or will that be just too much deliciousness all at once? I am sure there is no such thing.

Whatever fruit you do end up using, don’t forget to sprinkle some powdered sugar on the warm turnovers and maybe drizzle some leftover melted chocolate on top. You can eat them while watching your favorite show as well.

CHOCOLATE AND PEAR TURNOVERS

You will need: (Makes 8 large turnovers)

• Ready-made frozen puff pastry sheets – 2
• Semi-sweet chocolate chips – 1 cup
• Milk or heavy cream – 1/4 cup
• Powdered sugar – 2 tbsp + extra, for dusting
• Almonds – a small handful, coarsely chopped
• Pears – 2 ripe ones
• Egg – 1
• Water – 2 tsp + extra, for sealing the edges of the turnovers

How to:

• Thaw the frozen puff pastry sheets as per package directions. Pre-heat the oven to 400 deg.F and line a couple of large baking sheets with foil.
• In a small saucepan, melt the chocolate chips with milk/cream. Mix in the powdered sugar and chopped nuts. Keep aside.
• Chop the pears into 3/4-inch pieces.
• Roll out each pastry sheet to a 10-inch square. Divide each sheet into quarters. You will have eight small squares now.
• Place a small amount of the pears and chocolate-nut mixture in the middle of a puff pastry square. Moisten the edges with water, fold over into a triangle or rectangle and seal the edges. Crimp edges with the tines of a fork. Repeat with the rest of the pastry squares.
• Lightly beat an egg with 2tsp water. Brush the turnovers with this egg wash. Line on baking sheets without touching. Bake for 15-20 minutes or till the pastry is puffed and golden.
• Remove from oven and cool slightly on a wire rack.
• To serve, dust with some powdered sugar. Melt any leftover chocolate mixture and drizzle over the turnovers. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Notes:

• Use apples or strawberries instead of pears. Use your favorite nuts instead of almonds in this recipe, like hazelnuts in the original recipe.
• For a traditional apple or pear turnover, simply combine the chopped fruit with a little brown sugar and a couple of tablespoons of flour and fill the pastry pockets.
• I can think of more combinations like peaches and cream or berries and custard filling for the turnovers.
• Turnovers are good with savory fillings too.

Turnovers are so easy and delicious, especially if you use frozen puff pastry sheets. Keep a packet in your freezer for quick desserts or snacks. They take really well to both sweet and savory fillings.

You may be curious to know if I’ve had any further food inspirations from the show. Well, there is the case of the ‘world’s best’ burger and fries served at Granny’s B&B and also her homemade hot chocolate. Then there are the suspicious-looking stews and soups the characters eat in the original fairyland. Sigh! This show is doing me no good. But let me leave you with something modern-day Rumpelstiltskin tells Belle about burgers. “You know, you should try it with ketchup. Condiments are this world’s most powerful magic. ” Isn’t that food for thought?!!

Tell me, do you get inspired by what you read or watch on television? Do share.

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