These beautiful, flaky turnovers are filled with sweet, juicy pluots, which are a plum-apricot hybrid. Made with a tender, buttery pie crust, these turnovers can be enjoyed for breakfast, as a dessert, or even as an on-the-go snack.
A pluot is a hybrid of two stone fruits, plum and apricot. A pluot tastes more like a plum than an apricot since it's three parts plum and one part apricot. Ripe pluots are brimming with juicy sweetness with just a hint of sourness.
Makes 8 (6-inch) turnovers
Ingredients
Pie Crust
2 ¼ cups all-purpose flour
1 ½ tsp granulated sugar
¾ tsp salt
1 ½ cups unsalted butter, cold and cubed
1 tsp vinegar
8-10 Tbsp ice water
1 large egg, beaten with 1 Tbsp water (egg wash for brushing on top)
Granulated sugar, for sprinkling on top
Pluot Almond Filling
1 (7 oz) package almond paste
¼ cup whipping cream
2 ½ cups pluots (or plums if you can't find pluots), pitted and sliced
⅓ - ½ cup granulated sugar (if plums are tart, use ½ cup sugar)
⅛ tsp ground cardamom
1 Tbsp cornstarch, dissolved in 2 tsp water
Directions
Pie Crust
In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, and salt. Add the butter to the flour mixture. Using a pastry blender, two forks, or your hands, work the butter into the flour until the mixture is sandy and crumbly.
Gradually add the vinegar and ice water, one tablespoon at a time, stirring well after each addition. Add just enough water for the dough to come together.
Gently shape the dough into a ball, and wrap the ball in plastic. Refrigerate the dough for at least 1 hour, if not several hours. (I refrigerated my dough overnight.)
Pluot Almond Filling
Place the almond paste in a food processor and finely grind. Add the cream and puree until smooth.
Preheat the oven to 400°F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.
Combine the pluots, sugar, and cardamom in a saucepan. Bring the mixture to a boil, stirring constantly. Reduce the heat to medium and simmer until the pluots are soft, about 4 minutes. Add the cornstarch mixture, and stir until the mixture thickens, about 1 minute. Chill the fruit mixture in the refrigerator until cold.
Evenly divide the chilled dough into 8 pieces. Roll each piece out into a thin circle about 6 inches across. Spread 1-2 tablespoons of the almond paste mixture over the middle of each circle. Place ⅛ of the chilled fruit mixture into the middle of each circle on top of the almond paste. Brush the edges of the circle with the egg wash. Fold the dough over the filling to create a half circle, and crimp the edges together with a fork.
Brush the tops of the turnovers with more egg wash and sprinkle with granulated sugar. Cut a few small slits in the top of each turnover to allow steam to escape. Freeze the turnovers for about 20 minutes.
Bake the turnovers on the prepared pans for 18-20 minutes, or until the crust is golden brown. Allow the turnovers to cool on baking sheets. (I recommend serving these warm with ice cream!)