Cherry Turnovers

Cherry Turnovers

Turnovers are buttery pastries with a sweet and tart filling. Cherry turnovers is a classic one that you will never get tired of eating.Imagine biting into layers upon layers of buttery goodness, with a sweet and tart fruit filling. This delectable fruit treat that is perfect tea time snack.You can sprinkle some sugar on the top or drizzle some glaze if you want it extra sweet. Cherry turnover is my personal favorite but you can use apples, strawberries or whatever your heart desires.

I made these turnovers last weekend.I brought a package of puff pasty sheet to make some spicy puffs that is so popular in Kerala. Indian bakery puffs is a spice version of  turnovers with meat,vegetable or egg filling.Some people have a sweet tooth, so blame mine for this sudden change of mind. But I am glad I tried this. I made the cherry filling  and mixed a little cornstarch. Berries have high water content, so adding starch will  help to thicken up the filling, so that it does not burst out of the pastry.Of course some of the filling might find its way out,you can avoid this by making slits on the top for the steam to vent.

If you like me have an anxiety of making puff pastry dough, then store brought one is a perfect time saver. With my package I made eight turnovers.You can freeze the extras and warm them up as needed. This is super yum and definitely worth a try.

Ingredients
 Puff Pastry sheet- 1 box
Cherry pitted- 2 cup
Sugar- 1/2 cup
Butter - 1 tsp
Water- 1/4 cup
Lemon juice-1/2 lemon
Lemon zest- 1/2 tsp
Cornstarch-2 tbs
Almond extract a few drops (optional)
Egg white- 1

To make the filling-In a non stick pan add pitted cherries, butter, sugar, lemon zest and corn starch. Mix and coat well. Add 1/4 cup water,almond extract and lemon juice and cook this over medium high heat. Allow it to boil and simmer for five minutes until the cherry filling is thickened and the fruit is tender. Allow this to cool down completely.

Thaw the puff pastry as per package instructions. Cut into equal sized squares. Spoon in the filling mixture. Brush the edges of the pasty with egg wash.Fold the dough over the filling half diagonally to form a triangle and seal the edges.You can also use a fork to press and seal. Transfer to baking sheets, brush the top with egg wash. Bake in 350 degree F oven for 20-25 minutes or till it turns golden brown.Allow it to cool down before serving.

Try this,
Hope you will all enjoy!

Raspberry Cream Cheese Danish

Raspberry Cream Cheese Danish

Cream cheese danish is one of my favorite pastry. It is quick and easy to make if you have store brought puff pastry sheets. Cream cheese with fresh fruit makes a delicious filling. But you can also make sauce or use jam filling.The flaky buttery puffs with creamy fruit filling is super delicious. Try this, you will surely love it.

Ingredients
Puff pastry sheet- 2
Cream cheese - 8 0z.
Powdered sugar- 3/4 cup
Fresh raspberries- 3/4 cup
(or any fruit jam)
Flour- 1 tbs
Vanilla essence- 1 tsp
Chopped nuts- 1 tbs
Egg white-1

Using a hand mixer whip cream cheese till soft and creamy. Add confectionery sugar and whip till well blended. Finally add vanilla essence and flour and whisk till it is creamy.Add raspberry and fold in. Refrigerate till ready to use.

Thaw puff pastry sheet according to package instructions. Pre heat oven to 375 degree F.
Spread the puff pastry on an ungreased baking sheet. Spread the filling towards the center of the dough leaving 3 inches on both sides. Cut 1 inch thick diagonal strips on both sides of the filling. Fold and seal top and bottom. Take each strip and fold over the filling in an angle, alternating sides each time to create a braid pattern. When you reach the bottom tuck the last strip underneath the pasty to seal.Brush the top with egg white and sprinkle chopped nuts like almonds or walnuts.Bake this for 15-18 or till the top turns crispy and golden. Allow the pastry to cool down.
Dust with confectionery sugar or drizzle icing over the danish, slice and serve.

Try this,
Hope you will all enjoy!

Pecan Tarts

Pecan Tarts is a perfect bite sized dessert with a flaky crust, sweet center  and an inviting aroma. Seems it is a small fancy version of the original pecan pie. It will be a perfect dessert for Christmas. This is made in two stages. First the crust and then the filling.

Ingredients for the crust
Flour- 1 cup
Cream cheese- 1/3 cup
Butter- 1/2 cup
salt- a pinch


Ingredients for filling
Pecan - 1 cup
Egg-1
flour- 2 tsp
Sugar- 3/4cup
Dark brown corn syrup- 3-4tsp
Vanilla extract- 1 tsp
salt- 1/3 tsp


In a mixing ball beat butter and cream cheese till smooth.Mix in flour to form a dough. Do not knead too much. Just bring it into one mass and chill it in fridge for an hour. Spread the dough  with a rolling pin and cut out small circles. Press this down with your fingers into a greased muffin tin and keep ready. For the filling beat egg in a small bowl and mix in all the ingredients listed for filling. Carefully spoon in this mixture into the shells( about 3/4 of the shell)and bake at 300 degree F for 15 minutes or till the tooth pick inserted in the center comes out clean.Allow it to cool completely before serving.

I would like to thank my friends Jaisy, Shanavi, Kitchen Boffin, Kavitha and Kurinji for sharing some beautiful awards with me...sorry guys for being a bit late. All have wonderful blogs and I take this opportunity to thank each one of them for the constant support and encouragement.Thanks Kurinji  for sharing once again with me Lovely Blog Award. It is great joy to receive this award from you friend.


Thanks Jaisy and Shanavi  for this sweet award

I would like to share this with some of my blogger friends..
Pushpa
Sayantani
Sushma
Santosh
Satrupa
Jisha
Uma
Nisha
Vanishri



And also ..Thanks Fezi of Kitchen Boffin for sharing with me this beautiful award

This award has certain rules and it is to share seven things about myself and to pass the award to blogger whom I have recently met and who I think is fantastic. I would like to share this with

Kavitha 
Shanavi
Love2cook
Anand Rajasekaran
Nisa Homey
Rajeshweri
Priya Sreeram

Kavitha has tagged me with a questionnaire ( set of eight questions) twice and I am posting my answers. Thanks dear for tagging and it was real fun.I was also asked to tag eight blogger friends and keep the ball rolling :)The intention is to help us know each other better.Kavitha's questions and my answers...

1. What is your take on organic food , is it a big deal for you ?
It is not a big deal for me. There are some things in my shopping list which has the label organic like milk, eggs etc, but not all... as it may not be good for  my purse to pay 25- 40% etc to regular market price:)
I do love the concept of safe methods of farming and protecting nature. But it seems gone are those days when it was declared as a motto of organic foods-know your food and know where it is grown. Today due to increasing demands organic farms are adapting new techniques and it is a prestige for large corporate farms to develop  as part of their huge farms a division called Organic farm.

2. Do you time your breakfast,lunch & dinner or eat when you are hungry ?
Usually I eat breakfast and lunch when I am hungry, but have a time fixed for dinner as it is fun to have dinner together with my family. This is the time I can spend with my husband and son who is a  preschooler.

3. What inspired you to write a food blog ?
I am not sure about it. My husband used to take photos of food that I prepare and we made a separate file. One day I took up the idea of writing down the recipes tried and tested when I was chatting with my mother. She was very sad that she lost some of the family recipes of my late grandmother and great grandmother.

4. You try a new recipe and it does not turn out good,what will you do ?
I try to improvise on that dish by adding some other ingredients that I feel might improve its taste, but if it does not work I tell hubby about it and just dump it.

5. Name three ingredients you consciously avoid or eliminate even when the recipe calls for it ?
Store brought broth, canned fish, veggies and canned meat and vegetable shortenings.

6. Name three things you have to use in most recipes ?
Coconut, Pepper powder and garlic

7. How important is eating meals together as a family to you?
Its very important for me as it gives us the sense of being together and it is fun

8. You do not like a particular dish at your favorite restaurant,what will you do ?
I will never order:) But if it part of the main meal I will just keep it aside.

Now to the second set of questions

1)Are you a vegetarian, or have you thought about being one?
Those who come to my blog will surely know the answer:) I am not.. I have not yet thought of being one but I do enjoy vegetarian as much I love non vegetarian food.

2)Who inspired you to cook or bake?
I learned cooking from my mom and later after marriage from my Mom-in -law. I used to help my mother and my mother in law in their kitchens and they were very particular to reserve the less burden jobs for me ... probably they had a fear that I will make a mess of their kitchen:(.
Baking I learned after I came to US and am still  learning. I began with big holes and tunnels in my cakes but now  I have started to understand little secrets to make it somewhat perfect.

3) How do you celebrate Christmas?...or a favorite holiday of your choice?
We love to celebrate Christmas as my son love Christmas lights and decors. We also celebrate Onam and Vishu. Now we are away from family and relatives but we still try to imbibe the joy and happiness of these festivals.

4)Do you prefer to celebrate New Year's Eve with friends and/or family, or prefer to ring in the New Year quietly, and privately, at home?
We love to celebrate with friends and family while we were in India. But now ours is a small family with my husband, kid and myself. We will be mostly at home, we stay awake to welcome the New year, cut cake and then ring up our parents and relatives in India to be part of their happiness.

5)If someone were to ask you to bring dessert to a party, what would you bring? Store bought, or homemade, and if you were to make homemade, what would you make?
It has always been a tough decision for me. I ask hubby dear as he is my best critic. It is he who has tested all my recipes ..poor thing... hehehe:)

6) How will you celebrate your next birthday?
I love celebrating my husbands and sons birthday..I love planning and doing something different and to make the day special. But mine I leave it for them to decide..to be truthful I am not sure..last minute plans.

7)Do you have a New Year's resolution-and will you be sticking to it?
I do make New Year resolutions but I sadly admit that I did not stick to it last year.

I am passing the first set of Kavitha's questions to some of my friends :) Please keep the ball rolling:)

Sanyukta
Savitha Ramesh
Biny
Akila
Cool blogger
Kurinji
Kitchen Boffin
Kairali sisters

Thanks dear friends..
Have a great day:)