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Apple Cream Cheese Turnovers

Apple Cream Cheese Turnovers

What's more delicious than an apple cream cheese turnover? Or are these hand pies? Is there a difference? I'm not sure, but I do know that this is my new favorite pastry breakfast. These turnovers are chock full of spiced apples and fluffy cream cheese that melts in your mouth. The flaky crust is drizzled in a thick cinnamon cream cheese icing and is the perfect amount of sweetness.

These turnovers come together quickly and can be made in the morning before your family rises, but they are also delicious cold from the refrigerator with a hot cup of coffee!

Apples

I made these turnovers with tangy Granny apples. I wanted an apple that could be baked without becoming mushy and one that had some tang to cut the sweetness. These were perfect! They are coarsely chopped and spiced with cinnamon and nutmeg. You want to cook your apples until they are softened, but not completely broken down. My kids kept sneaking bites out of the pan - little stinkers!

Crust

I used my favorite pie crust for these turnovers. It's an excellent recipe from Six Figures Under and I usually have several crusts in the freezer at any given time. I used this same recipe for my popular peach hand pie too! You can use it for savory dishes as well - I love it in my chicken pot pie. It is a shortening based dough - if you are new to crusts, you will appreciate it's forgiving nature.

Yum

Apple Cream Cheese Turnovers

By Jenny Rodriguez

These flaky turnovers are filled with cinnamon spiced Granny apples and layered with fluffy cream cheese. Incredibly delicious and perfect for a Sunday morning.

Prep time: 20
Cook time: 20
Total time: 40

Yield: 5 large turnovers

Ingredients:

2 raw pie crusts (store bought or homemade)

1 tbsp butter

2 small Granny apples, peeled and coarsely chopped

2 tbsp + 1/4 cup brown sugar

1 1/2 tsp cinnamon

1/4 tsp ground nutmeg

2 tbsp all purpose flour

1/4 cup white sugar

1 tsp vanilla extract

4 oz cream cheese, softened

1 egg

1-2 tbsp milk

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 350 F. Roll out pie dough and cut 10 circles about 4-5" in diameter. This will make 5 good sized turnovers. You can make them smaller or larger depending upon your needs.

In a medium sized pan, melt butter over medium-low heat. Once butter has melted, add chopped apples, 2 tbsp of brown sugar, 1 tsp cinnamon and nutmeg. Gently toss in pan and continue to cook over low heat for 10-15 minutes. Apples should be tender, but not completely broken down. Remove from heat and set aside

In a small bowl combine flour, 1/2 tsp cinnamon, white sugar, remaining 1/4 cup of brown sugar, vanilla and cream cheese. Using a hand mixer, whip mixture together until it is light and fluffy. Set aside 1/4 cup of the cream cheese filling for the glaze.

On an ungreased cookie sheet, lay out 5 pie crust rounds. Spread a good sized spoonful of the cream cheese mixture. Spread around crust, leaving about 1/4 -1/2" border. Lay a 1/4 cup of the apple mixture on top of the cream cheese layer. Top with another pie crust and pinch edges together. You can make a decorative border if so desired.

Beat the egg and paint on the pie crust tops. Cut 4 venting holes in the crust with a sharp knife. Bake for 17- 20 minutes or until turnovers are a golden brown.

While turnovers are baking, add the 1/4 cup of reserved cream cheese filling to a small bowl. Add 1-2 tbsp of milk and blend until it is an icing consistency.

Once the pies come out of the oven, allow to cool for 10 minutes and then heavily drizzle tops with the cream cheese frosting. These are amazing hot from the oven, but they also can be enjoyed cold. You can refrigerate leftovers for 2 days, if any remain.

Kids in the Kitchen

Since I have 3 kids at home, I try to get them in the kitchen as much as possible. In baking there truly is a ton of science and precision needed. And well it's yummy and fun. I also find they open up about what's on their mind while our hands are busy making meals.

There are several steps in this recipe that can be done by kids of various ages. They can pick the apples, peel them and chop them coarsely. Have them add the spices and whip the icing, too. Such amazing life skills and bonding moments with a delicious breakfast when you're done.

XO,

Jenny

Marshmallow Cotton Candy Ice Cream

I admit it, I'm on bit of a no-churn ice cream craze. It's just so easy and yummy! I've been loving the unicorn craze and wanted to create something magical, but not overly bright. I asked many of my friends what a unicorn magical ice cream would taste like. They answered in various forms of fruity and marshmallow.. something light and sweet.

I came up with a double marshmallow cotton candy flavored ice cream. The ice cream is flavored with three different types of cotton candy floss sugar, a layer of homemade marshmallow creme and ooddles of fruity mini marshmallows. It's a bit of soft, sweet heaven.

Cotton Candy Floss

Cotton candy floss comes in various delicious flavors. It gave the ice cream a soft rainbow hue and fruity flavor. I used cherry, grape and blue raspberry in this ice cream. I purchased it off Amazon here. but I have seen it for sale at local restaurant supply stores as well.

Marshmallow Creme

I really wanted to try my hand at making marshmallow creme instead of purchasing it at the store. I found a delicious recipe at Eating On A Dime. It is incredibly easy to make, I doubt I would buy it again. So delicious and yummy! I placed scoops of it layered in the ice cream - you will love it's softness, but it doesn't freeze hard, so be ready to gobble it down.

Yum

Marshmallow Cotton Candy Ice Cream

By Jenny Rodriguez

A light and delicious cotton candy flavored ice cream with ribbons of homemade marshmallow creme and bites of fruity mini marshmallows.

Prep time: 25 minutes
Cook time: Freeze overnight
Total time: 25 minutes

Yield: 1.5 quarts

Ingredients:

1 cup marshmallow creme

2 tbsp. cotton candy floss flavoring in: cherry, grape and blue raspberry

2 cups heavy cream

14 oz. can sweetened condensed milk

1 cup fruity mini marshmallows

Instructions:

In a medium bowl, whip heavy cream until soft peaks form. They should keep their form, be careful to not overwhip to stiff.

Divide the condensed milk into 3 small bowls. In each bowl, add one cotton candy floss flavoring and stir until well mixed. Add 1/3 cup of mini marshmallows to each bowl and combine.

In each of the three bowls, add about 1/3 of the whipped heavy cream. Mix to combine, but do not overstir.

Prepare a metal bread pan for the ice cream. Alternate layering the ice cream flavors into the pan - add about 1/2 of each bowl. Spoon the marshmallow creme over the layers, but don't stir. Finish layering the remaining ice cream. Cover tightly with saran wrap and freeze for at least 8 hours.

This ice cream is so delicious and will have your magic loving family squealing with delight. Its soft colors, delicious marshmallow creme and fruity mini marshmallows will make you feel like a child again. A super easy and yummy summer treat? Magical!

XO,
Jenny

My Favorite Thing - Father's Day Cookie Set

My Favorite Thing To Do With Daddy..

Father's Day is around the corner, are you ready? I always struggle with what to give my amazing husband and father. In the end, I think they are similar to moms - they want to know that they are appreciated and loved.

Every year I come up with a new cookie theme set for Father's Day. This year I wanted to create something really special given all the changes in our lives. I know my husband has worked incredibly hard finding a new job, moving his family and doing anything he could to keep us all happy.

My children are at an age now where they can be more involved with gift buying and making. I wanted to include them in this cookie set, after all it's their sweet lives that have made him a father. I was inspired by my son's Preschool Father's Day gift. One of the questions in his card to fill out was, "What is your favorite thing to do with Daddy?"

And what do my children love to do with their Daddy? They love doing archery, riding bikes, being treated to ice cream and playing with him outside. I won't soon forget their little faces as they thought about their answers. That man is so incredibly loved by his children.

My decorated cookies are not unique in our home anymore. I know my husband would have appreciated anything I made, I really wanted something that would be more meaningful. I decided to hand the icing over this year. I baked all their sweet memories and flooded them in white. This step gave the cookies a nice even layer and blank canvas for them to work on.

I made up an assortment of rainbow colored icings and left them alone. They could decorate in any way they wanted. My only rule? Don't squirt icing into our mouth. I know, I know - I'm the meanest mom ever!

They had so much fun and they were ecstatic that I trusted them to make these special treats. This is a great activity to do with him - it's fun and you get to listen to all of their favorite memories. I know that my husband will always remember these sweet treats and how much he is loved by them.

I do recommend giving the kids a small cookie before or after to enjoy. That was the only hiccup and I saw it coming. They love cookies too, lol! Maybe bake a few extra hearts for them to decorate and gobble down after their hard work.

I hope you try this activity, I think it may become a new family tradition for us!
Happy Father's Day to all those men out there that help raise, love and hold our children dear.

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Apple Cream Cheese Turnovers