Today, because strawberries are in season, and because I had some puff pastry in the freezer, I made a great big batch of… Chicken Cacciatore.
Just kidding!
I made some super-simple Strawberry Turnovers. Super-simple, because the puff pastry is store-bought.
To make these pastries extra-special, I flavored the berries with culinary rose water. This “secret ingredient” makes the turnovers smell as bright and summery as they look and taste. If you don’t have rose water in your pantry, simply substitute vanilla extract.
To start, grab 10 ounces of fresh, local strawberries. I purchased mine from The Berry Farm in Chatham, New York. The berries were picked the same day I bought them.
Cut off the green stems, and then slice up the berries, and tip them into a pretty green bowl. If you don’t have a pretty green bowl, use a homely green bowl.
2 tablespoons tapioca starch (or substitute plain corn starch)…
And toss to coat with your favorite spatula. Let the berries exude their juices for a few minutes.
Meanwhile, fling 4 ounces of softened cream cheese into a medium bowl…
And realize that your beagle is watching your every move.
Tip 1 beaten egg yolk over the cream cheese…
Add the grated zest of a small lemon…
And a splash (about 1/2 teaspoon) of rose water. My favorite rose water is made by Neilsen-Massey. I buy it online from this source.
No interest in rose water?
Substitute pure vanilla extract.
Stir the cream cheese mixture until well combined. Don’t worry about lumps — they’ll disappear in the oven.
For this next step, you’ll need 2 sheets thawed but still-quite-cold puff pastry dough.
Note: If your puff pastry should warm and thus soften during any stage of this recipe, just pop it into the freezer for a couple of minutes.
Grab one pastry sheet, and unfold it onto a parchment-lined baking tray. Flatten the seams with your impeccably clean fingers.
Use a pastry wheel to cut the sheet into 4 quarters.
Working quickly now, paint a 1/2-inch border all around each square with egg wash (one egg beaten with 1 teaspoon water).
Then put a dollop of the cream cheese mixture in the center of each square…
And top it off with a spoonful of berries, minus their juice. A slotted spoon is useful here.
Why omit the juice?
Because it will run all over your pastry dough, and flow onto the parchment liner.
Well, that’s what happened to me the first time I made these turnovers. Now I know that too much juice is…too much juice.
Fold the dough over the berries to form a triangle, and seal the edges with the tines of a fork.
Then brush each pastry with beaten egg…
And make a 1-inch slit in the top of each pastry so that steam can escape.
Now pop the turnovers into the fridge while you preheat the oven to 375°F. Also, prepare the remaining pastries on a second baking sheet. Pop this second batch into the fridge while the first batch is baking.
Bake until the pastry puffs and browns — about 25 minutes. Cool to room temperature on a wire rack. If some of the pastries burst at the seams during baking, run out and buy a lotto ticket. Burst turnovers are considered good luck.
When they are cool to the touch, give the turnovers a heavy dusting of confectioners’ sugar…
Need a copy-and-paste version of the above? Here goes:
Strawberry Turnovers
Kevin Lee Jacobs (www.kevinleejacobs.com)
Ingredients for 8 pastriesFor the berry mixture:
10 ounces (about 20 medium) fully ripe strawberries, sliced
1/4 cup granulated sugar
2 tablespoons tapioca starch (or use corn starch)For the cream cheese base:
4 ounces cream cheese
1 egg yolk, beaten
The grated zest of a lemon
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon culinary rose water (or substitute pure vanilla extract)For the pastry dough:
2 sheets frozen store-bought puff pastry, thawed but cold
1 whole egg, beaten with 1 teaspoon water
Confectioners’ sugar (for dusting)Tip the sliced strawberries into a medium bowl. Add the sugar and tapioca starch (or corn starch), and toss with a spatula. Set aside, and let the berries exude their juices for a few minutes.
Meanwhile, put the cream cheese, egg yolk, lemon zest, sugar, and rose water in a separate, medium-size bowl. Beat with a spoon or spatula until combined.
Unfold 1 sheet puff pastry onto a parchment-lined baking sheet. Flatten seams in the pastry with your fingers. Using a pastry cutter (a/k/a “pizza wheel”), cut the dough into 4 quarters.
Working quickly now, so the pastry doesn’t soften, paint a 1/2-inch ribbon of egg wash all around each square. Then put a dollop (about 1 tablespoon) of the cream cheese mixture in the center of each square. Using a slotted spoon, scoop up approximately 1 tablespoon of berries, and place them atop the cream cheese. Fold the dough over the berries to form a triangle, and seal the edges with the tines of a fork. Brush with the beaten egg, and then cut a 1-inch slit in the top so that steam can escape.
Chill the pastries in the fridge while you center the oven rack, and preheat the oven to 375°F. Also, prepare the remaining turnovers. Chill this second batch while the first batch is baking.
Bake until the pastry puffs and turns golden — about 25 minutes. Transfer the turnovers to a wire rack to cool. Dust with confectioners’ sugar just before serving.
Love all things strawberry? Then by all means post a comment below!
Don’t miss anything at A Garden for the House…sign up for Kevin’s email updates.
Related Posts:
A Fabulous Fruit Pizza
Roasted Radishes with Honey, Lemon, and Thyme
Kale Pesto — My Way!
Elizabeth says
Oh, Kevin. These look wonderful. Please keep strawberry recipes coming. I am crazy about them!
Brenda Johnson says
Flaky puff pastry, ripe juicy red strawberries, the delicate perfume and flavor of the rose water really made these special! Not too sweet, crisp on the outside, creamy and juicy on the inside…. delicious!!! (I’m glad you didn’t bring more that you did for me to try!!! I would have eaten those too!!!) Thanks for sharing Kevin!!!!
Kevin Lee Jacobs says
Hi Elizabeth – Strawberries for president!
Hi Brenda – Thanks so much for taste-testing, and for your review. Glad you took 3 of the turnovers off my hands. I ate the other five!
Marjean says
I think I’ll use my homegrown strawberries for this one, Kevin! Oh, my! Yummy, yummy, yummy!
Susan says
I do love all things strawberry and will be making these soon! 🙂
Mary in Iowa says
You forgot the final step: drink the juice!
Theresa N says
Beautiful picture and love the recipe, I never would have thought of using Rose Water in a million years. 🙂
Abigail says
The minute this recipe popped up, I started to drool, really. This looks so easy to make and i can’t wait to taste it. Am off to buy puff pastry.
Thanks,Kevin!
Clytie says
It’s the winter solstice in Australia however strawberry season is just starting. I bought some local strawberries from the farmers market this morning so your turnovers will be baked tomorrow. I’m thinking cherries would also be good in these turnovers?
Thanks for a wonderful end to my weekend, Kevin.
Diane says
My mouth is watering………………..going to make those today…….for Father’s Day! Thanks for the recipe!
Teresa says
Thank you so much! This is a delightful post and recipe that I will absolutely make. I love your work and your site, and that you are local is so cool! (I’m in Claverack.)
Thank you! Happy Father’s Day and Happy Solstice!
May you always be blessed!
Natalie says
Thank you so much for giving me a great idea, Kevin!
These look so unbelievably delicious, but today for Father’s Day I’m making straight up strawberry pie and you just gave me a stellar idea. I will add a bit of rosewater to the filling and I just happen to have the one pictured!
😀
Catharine R. says
Licking my computer monitor now! Yum!
Kay Hirai says
Kevin thank you for sharing this recipe. These turn-overs look so professional and lovely. I will try making this recipe this week. I can see that peaches and blueberries will make lovely turn-overs as well. Can you post a recipe for a yummy strawberry pie soon? I’m looking for one.
Happy Father’s Day everyone!
Sarabeth says
Happy First Day of Summer Kevin! What a great kick-off this recipe is! Can hardly wait to make this one. And you have inspired me to try this with other fruits as well – raspberries, blackberries, blueberries — oh my. I think I just gained ten pounds thinking about the possibilities! Thank you – Thank you – Thank you!
Jan Edmondson says
So funny!! Joel got us an Egg McMuffin for breakfast along with a cherry pie which we had saved for later which was a few minutes ago and before I scrolled down Facebook and saw this!!! As I was eating my cherry pie/turnover and thinking, I have got to try making this cherry pie and lo and behold!!! You posted this!!! Thank you and with pictures and your good descriptions I am going to try. I have blueberry bushes just full of fruit would I need to make any changes of the recipe for a change of fruit??
Kevin Lee Jacobs says
Hi Jan – I’d follow the same recipe for blueberries, minus the rose water or vanilla. Enjoy!
Peggy says
Look forward to Sunday mornings to see & read about all your wonderful foods and gardening tips. Love them
Meryl says
Hmm…do you think you could make these without the cream cheese just adding more strawberries or will there not be enough cornstarch/tapioca starch to thicken the juice? We are lactose intolerant but we love strawberries and puff pastry!
Kevin Lee Jacobs says
Hi Meryl – Use lactose-free cream cheese. If your supermarket doesn’t carry it, your health food store will!
Beverly, zone 6, eastern PA says
Rats!
No Puff Pastry in the freezer…
It’s on the shopping list for next time.
Debbie says
Do you think they could be made ahead and frozen or because of cream cheese it would not work
Ardelle says
Local strawberries are available now and typically they are so luscious. I learned a hard lesson this year – the strawberries are tasteless. Apparently the heavy rains we’ve had recently causes this to happen. The farm was more than willing to refund or credit. I’m not sure at what point this occurs in the ripening process but I am going back to our local farmer later this week since we’ve not had rain for about a week now. This was a big surprise to me and had never experienced this. I will drive over and taste first. By the way they look great, nice and red but really no taste at all. What a disappointment.
Hopefully I will be able to try this yummy recipe – so simple too. Thanks for all the super good recipes that keep me from getting in a ‘rut’ with my food offerings 🙂
Happy Summer Solstice everyone!
Allison K says
Your timing is perfect–I’ve got a box of puff pastry in my freezer taking up space, and I’m getting about a pint of strawberries from my patch every few days!
Allison K says
Also, Happy Father’s Day! I hope Lily the beagle gave you extra snuggles this morning!
Leslie D says
Oh gosh! Oh gosh! O gosh!
All of my favourite foods in one great recipe!
Thank you, Kevin!
Can’t wait to try it.
Happy day!. Happy Father’s Day and Solstice too. You sure made mine happy.
Cheers!
L
Valerie C. says
Yummmm! My family will devour these! Happy Father’s Day!
Cathy says
These look wonderful, I love all your recipes. They’re not only delicious, but also easy to do.
What about Blueberries and almond extract, with lemon zest? Do you think it would work?
Sherrill says
Kevin, why aren’t you fat?
Kevin Lee Jacobs says
Hi Cathy – Your ingredient-list ought to work. Have fun with your experiment!
Shirely B. says
Zoiks!! Those look sooooooo wonderful!!
I wish I was your neighbor.
Ed Morrow says
Another “I can’t wait to give this a try” recipe. Thanks for including the info on where to buy the rose water. It is often these secret ingredients that make the difference between nice and wow.
Thanks again.
Ed Morrow
Carmel Valley, CA
Kirsten says
I’m having a housefull for the 4th. These will make a perfect make ahead b’fast! Ole Olsen, my 19 year old tabby,will have to have a dab of cream cheese…or else! He can be a bit of a bully!!!
Susie says
How about kirsch or framboise in place of rose water? These sound like coeur a la creme in pastry!
Marie Love says
Hi Kevin thank you for all the recipes you post here I love them all and some I know them and some I don’t so I try them and love them all just keep posting them, have a great day
Ivy says
Hello Kevin,
I just discovered your site today, and signed up. I will definitely make these for brunch with my grandson. Do you think it would work with other fruit as well, I was thinking about peaches, since they are in season. Thanks for all the decorating photos, I love them, and your humor makes this site so delightful!
Ivy
Rosemary says
Loved ur strawberry turnover recipe. I did not have cream cheese so substituted goat cheese and a little ricotta. They were not as neat and tidy looking as urs but were delicious all the same!
Carolyn says
Kevin, your recipes are wonderful! If you create a cookbook, please display them the same way you do on your blog. You have the best sense of humor and if you include that in your cookbook along with your great recipes, it will be a number 1 bestseller. Best of luck to you.
Karen L. says
Finally catching up on some of your blog post and so glad I did. These pastries look so good! And I can make them with blueberries, really? Doesn’t get much better this time of year with the strawberries and blueberries. Thanks for the recipe that looks fairly easy to do.
Helene Willis says
Happy Birthday, LeRoy…June 2. Love from your cousin, Helene, who had her 86th birthday May 16th. Your mom, Nova, and my mom Naomi, were sisters. I so miss both of them – both super cooks! A family favorite is still “Applesauce Cake”, an old family recipe from Grandma Metzger.
Love your web site! Your cookbook is a go-to for me, and I always find just the right recipe for whatever the occasion should be…….be it a simple, easy supper for two, or a bigger family gathering for our large, and getting larger, family! Look forward to Sunday and reading both recipes and gardening hints! Thank you, thank you.
Kevin Lee Jacobs says
Hi Helene – Happy belated birthday to you! So glad you enjoy the cookbook. And please (PLEASE!) send me Grandma Metzger’s recipe for Applesauce Cake! xKevin
Diane says
Having made and loved your rhubarb turnovers a few years ago, I always keep some puff pastry in the freezer; and having a bumper crop of strawberries this year, this will be tonight’s dessert. Thank you so much for sharing this recipe.
Heather says
Kevin, I know I’m late to the party on this one, but these look amazing! Do you think they could be made up to the point of just before egg washing and then frozen individually to be pulled out and eaten as needed? I cannot even imagine eating a whole batch of these (who am I kidding, I could down them in no time flat!) but I would like to help portion control and not have to throw out food. I imagine I could poll them out of the freezer, egg wash and pop into the oven. Your thoughts?
Kevin Lee Jacobs says
Hi Heather – I can’t say for certain, but my best guess is yes — the turnovers could be assembled and then frozen. As you said, brush with egg before baking. Hope you enjoy!