Labor Day

It's my brother's 25th birthday today! Last night, at the dinner table, I asked him if there was anything that he wanted me to bake for him--cookies, breads, scones, pies, cream puffs. Birthday cake, perhaps?


He said, "Your apple turnovers."


I normally try to bake with what I have on hand, but my brother is visiting this weekend from Los Angeles and I don't get the opportunity to bake for him very often (unless I mail him cookies)! So I called on my younger brother to help me run to the store to buy granny smith apples, caramel candies, and cream cheese.


Then I got to work, mixing and folding and rolling homemade puff pastry dough for the next five hours (I rushed the time chilling in the fridge) until midnight. I was determined to get these apple turnovers shaped, into the fridge, and on a baking sheet the next morning. My hands are pretty sore today, and if there was such thing as a rolling pin callous, then that's what I have.

 Here's a taste of delicious flakiness for you, and a peek of gooey caramel.This is probably the third or fourth time I've blogged about these turnovers on separate occasions. They are that good. My brother is taking a box on his flight home tonight.


So there you go. A most labor-intensive recipe for my older brother, born on Labor Day.