Apple and Elderflower Cream Turnovers

A little elderflower cordial mixed into stewed apple makes for a fresh and light filling inside crisp and flaky puff pastry turnovers. A wonderful summer afternoon treat.

Recipe - Makes 4

For the rough puff pastry:

• 65g plain flour
• 65g strong white flour
• 1/8 tsp salt
• 90g butter, diced
• 80ml cold water
• Egg, beaten
• Granulated sugar, to sprinkle

For the apple filling:

• 2 apples, peeled and diced
• 25g caster sugar
• 25ml elderflower cordial

For the cream filling:

• 125ml double cream

Make the pastry by mixing the flour and salt in a bowl. Add the butter and roughly rub in, leaving large pieces. Add the water and mix to bring to a soft dough. Turn out onto a lightly floured surface and roll out to a rectangle three times as long as it is wide. Fold the top third down and bottom third up. Wrap in clingfilm and chill for 1 hour.

Meanwhile, make the apple filling by combining the apple, sugar and elderflower cordial in a pan and cook over a medium heat to softened and reduced. Remove and leave to cool then chill.

Continue with the pastry by rolling out on a lightly floured work surface to four times as long as it is wide. Fold each shorter edge towards the centre then in half like a book. Wrap and chill for 30 minutes. Repeat three more times, turning the pastry 90 degrees each time and chilling 30 minutes. 

Roll out the pastry to a large square 25cm x 25cm. Trim the edges to neaten then cut into four even sized squares. Place a spoonful of the apple filling on one half of each of the squares in a small triangle, leaving a 1cm rim along edge. Fold the pastry over to cover and press to seal. Use a lightly floured fork to press round the edge to seal well. Lift onto a baking tray lined with baking paper. Chill for 30 minutes. Preheat the oven to 200C.

Brush the pastry with egg and sprinkle over granulated sugar. Bake for 20 minutes or until browned and crisp. Remove and transfer to a wire rack to cool. 

Whisk the cream to soft peaks and transfer to a piping bag fitted with a 1cm star nozzle. Carefully slice open the puffs using a serrated knife and ease the pastry apart gently. Pipe in a little of the cream then serve.