Published October 15, 2020

I enjoyed the scenic route through West Milford’s morning mountain roads. I wondered if my GPS would take me on the highway like I was going to Lake George to get to Warwick, New York.

Instead, I chugged through the orange-green canopies, past classic farmhouses with acres of fenced-in cows, until I made a sharp right turn onto Ball Road, bringing us to Masker Orchard.

Masker Apple Orchard

I wasn’t sure what to expect when it came to apple picking during a pandemic.

My sister said that Masker Orchards lets you drive throughout the orchard. I didn’t really believe that, until I squeezed my car into the line of trucks and SUVs following the dirt path up through the orchards.

The trucks in front of us stopped at the Masker staff, who handed out plastic apple picking bags with a map of the orchard. The girl directed us to drive straight up the rocky path and go into any orchard, or find the “parking lots” and walk on foot.

We bounced along and swung left into Parking Lot 2, which was just a wide pathway between the apple trees, with a sign that designated it as a parking lot.

Studying our map, we started with the nearest apples, the McIntosh and Delicious, before moving across the road to the lowest orchards and working our way up.

My sneakers dampened in the morning dew. I was glad I wore jeans, as signs near the entrance warned of poison ivy.

We walked sideways through the orchard, looking out across the grey morning sky to the mountains and open fields in the distance. The morning air hinted of fall — sweet and cool.

Families congregated a few trees over, holding leashed dogs as their children shrieked and ran throughout the grass. An SUV joined us in this row of trees, parked, and unpacked folding chairs.

For 9:00 am, the orchard was already busy with visitors. I couldn’t imagine how packed it would be by the afternoon.

Apples for Apple Pie

Masker’s map labeled the dirt roads leading throughout the orchards, so you knew what you could make with the different types of apples — pie, strudel, cider, sauce.

We crossed the road to the Red Delicious, Empire, Jonagold, and Prime Red apples, which — according to the map — were best for pie.

I tasted the best apple in this section of the orchard. I’m not sure if it was a Red Delicious or a Prime Red — but it was a palm-sized, deep red apple with soft white flesh. I would’ve filled my whole bag with those apples, but there was hardly any left.

We continued down the orchard, toward the yellowy-green apples. Hardly anyone visited this side of the orchard, so we enjoyed the quiet before driving up toward the cider apples.

This was the busiest section of the orchard, since it was at the top of the mountain. Families picnicked in this area — setting up folding tables and snacks. You weren’t allowed to cook or BBQ in the orchards, but premade food was fine. I could see why a socially distant outdoor picnic in an apple orchard would attract family and friends to gather and connect.

My Recommendation

Masker Orchard offers amazing apple picking. I love that they’ve made the experience safe for the pandemic. Visitors are given bags upon entering the orchard, can pick apples by driving through the orchards, and order treats from the country store, without leaving the car.

Unlike other orchards I’ve seen, Masker’s does not charge you to enter the orchard. This seemed to be why the orchard was a popular place for outdoor gatherings.

My bag of apples totaled $30, regardless of how much you filled it. I filled mine to the brim, which is how I became inspired to make this week’s recipe video — puff pastry apple turnovers with glaze.

Ingredients for Puff Pastry Apple Turnovers with Glaze

What apples should I use for apple turnovers?

Granny Smith apples are usually the most popular baking apples since they hold their shape when cooking. Their sour flavor also pairs well with sweet ingredients when making a dessert.

I did not have any Granny Smith apples from apple picking, so I used a combination of McIntosh and Empire apples. I was satisfied with how they held their shape. If you have a preference feel free to use any type of apple that you like best.

What is the cornstarch slurry for?

Your fresh apples will naturally release their juices when cooking. Normally, you can thicken this for a pie filling. Instead, I removed the apples, and thickened it to use as a glaze on the outside of my apple turnovers.

To thicken the cooking juices, you can mix a few tablespoons of cornstarch and a few tablespoons of water until a thin paste forms. Add this paste to your cooking liquid and simmer, stirring frequently, until it becomes thick like caramel. Remove from heat and allow to cool.

You can start with one or two tablespoons of cornstarch, make a slurry, and add it to your cooking liquid. If you find that this is not thickening the liquid, continue this process, with 2-3 minutes of simmering, until thickened. I did this process for a while, before my cooking liquid became a glaze.

Depending on how much liquid is in your pan, you may need more or less of the slurry to thicken it.

How to Make Puff Pastry Apple Turnovers with Glaze

Tools for the Dish

• Peeler, knife, cutting board

• Large pan, wooden spoon

• Measuring cups and spoons

• Large bowl for cooked apples

• Rolling pin, pizza cutter, and/or sharp knife

• Cookie sheet lined with parchment paper

• Tablespoon and fork (for filling/folding the turnovers)

Cooking Notes

Thawing your Puff Pastry

If you’re also feeling adventurous, you can make your own puff pastry.

I thawed one box (with two separate sleeves), from my freezer. I left it on the counter when I started peeling my apples. By the time they were cooked and cooling, the puff pastry had softened enough to work with.

You’ll see I had some grooves separating the three panels of puff pastry. I used my rolling pin to even the layers before cutting them into fours. You don’t have to do this, but feel free if you have any uneven spots or cracks in the pastry.

Folding the Apple Turnovers

I wanted the classic triangle shape for my turnovers. As a foodie, I also get annoyed when there’s hardly any filling in my pastry!

Let me tell you — now I know why there’s no filling.

I tried to squeeze a tablespoon and a half of apples in my turnover and they were barely closing.

I would’ve loved to have two or three tablespoons of apples in my turnover. Unless you’re going to top the turnover with a second square of puff pastry — like my strawberry and cream hand pies — it won’t work.

You can always try to squeeze cooked apples into the turnovers after they’ve baked, but I would advise against that, in case you crack their shape.

Apple Turnovers with Glaze

Rather than make a traditional powdered sugar glaze — like I use on my blueberry scone recipe — I decided to repurpose the natural cooking liquid from the apples, and turn it into a glaze.

As I mentioned above, be sure to thicken your glaze gradually, depending on how much juice your apples create. If you find that you don’t have enough natural juices for your turnovers then you can use a homemade caramel or glaze for drizzling.

Portions and Serving

This recipe made 8 apple turnovers. They were best served the same day, though I covered three leftover ones, and left them on the kitchen counter. The outside of the puff pastry crisped a little more, but they were still enjoyable with a cup of coffee.

The Final Product

I love how these puff pastry apple turnovers came out.

The puff pastry is light and airy, which allows you to achieve the classic turnover shape when baking. The filling was soft and naturally sweet, without being too much.

My favorite part was the natural apple glaze drizzled overtop. It gave the turnovers a golden color.

Recipe Score

I would give the homemade Popeyes crispy chicken sandwich a 10/10 for the following:

• Recipe Level

  • Easy: As I’ve mentioned in previous recipes, as a home-cook, your recipes don’t have to be perfect.
    
    This puff pastry apple turnover recipe is easy because you can use any type of apple you like best, chop them (they don’t have to be perfectly even) — you can also dice them if you want — and fold to bake.

• Ingredients

  • You can use freshly picked or store bought apples. Using frozen puff pastry sheets saves you time and allows you to focus your attention on creating the filling. From the spices, to the main ingredient, you should easily find everything you need to make these puff pastry apple turnovers.

• Prep

  • Thawing your puff pastry so it is softened — but not mushy.

• Flavor

  • 10/10: Naturally sweet apple glaze, flaky puff pastry, tender apples with hints of cinnamon and nutmeg are a perfect fall treat.
    
    

K. Martinelli Makes Puff Pastry Apple Turnovers with Glaze

Looking for More Apple Recipes?

Check out my chocolate caramel dipped apples with peanuts.