How to Make Grandma’s Apple Turnovers

By Amanda Roland
apple turnovers

Fall is such a sweet time for families to gather and share all of their favorite recipes. This is the second fall that my family is spending without my great-grandma, and even though she isn’t here anymore to share her recipes with me, my Mema, her daughter, knows them well enough to pass them down to me. These apple turnovers are one of my great-grandma’s signature dishes, and they are great for bringing the family together and creating new memories.

For the dough:

  • 2 cups of self-rising flour
  • 1 tablespoon of sugar
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/3 cup shortening
  • 1/2 cup buttermilk

For the filling:

  • 1 package of dried apples (4 oz)
  • 1 tablespoon of sugar
  • 2 tablespoons of brown sugar
  • 1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon
  • Pinch of salt

Directions:

  1. For the dough, combine the flour, sugar and salt together. Cut the shortening into the flour mixture with a fork until mixture is crumbly. Stir in buttermilk just until the mixture is moistened, and don’t over mix. Wrap dough in plastic wrap and chill for at least 3 hours.
  2. To start the filling, put dried apples in a large saucepan, cover with water and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer the apples until soft, stirring occasionally. Let the apples cool completely.
  3. Drain off the excess liquid from the apples, transfer the apples to a bowl, and add in the sugar, brown sugar, cinnamon and salt. Gently mash the apples to combine all the ingredients together, cover and chill.
  4. Pour 2 inches of vegetable oil into a Dutch oven or skillet, heat the oil to 350°F.
  5. Take your dough and section it into 18 portions. Roll out each portion to be a 5-inch flat circle. Make one turnover at a time by spooning a heaping tablespoon of apple filling into a circle of dough. Brush water on the edges of the circle so that the dough will stick to itself. Fold the dough over filling and press down the edges with a fork to make crimp marks.
  6. Fry the turnovers in batches for 3-4 minutes. The apple turnovers should be a lovely golden color when they are done. Lay the turnovers on a cooling rack lined with a paper towel to absorb excess oil.
  7. Enjoy warm!

Giggle Tip: Try with different kinds of fruit, like dried peaches or pears, or sprinkle with cinnamon, sugar or powdered sugar!