T is for: Turnovers with Bourbon Soaked Apples & a Hot Honey Glaze

Hey y’all! Justin here giving Jaymee a little break from cooking.

In our house, the common order of duties is: Jaymee cooks and blogs, Justin shoots and cleans. We decided to switch it up a bit and give you a different taste (get it??) I love everything sweet, have a huge affinity towards baked goods, and with it being fall and Thanksgiving and all… I figured how about some delicious apple turnovers!

Now to keep the theme the same here on E is for Eat I’ll get into a little story first. As you may already know, Jaymee and I moved to Brooklyn in October of 2017, which is prime apple picking season here in New York State. I’m a huge fan of visiting apple orchards this time of year to kind of usher in the season and get ready for a few months of holidays, friends and family. Sadly, our move coincided with fall, and with all the joys associated with settling into a new place there wasn’t much time for an apple picking excursion. Fast forward to 2018….

Since we both have flexible schedules we made a mid-week trip upstate to Fishkill Farms. From the About page on their website:

Fishkill Farms is a 270-acre apple orchard and vegetable farm located in East Fishkill, New York, that has been in the Morgenthau family for over 100 years. Our homegrown organic vegetables and eco-certified fruit can be found year-round at our farm store and through our seasonal pick-your-own operation, as well as our CSA program and several farmer’s markets in the Hudson Valley and New York City. Starting with peas and strawberries in the spring and culminating with apples and pumpkins in the fall, the farm provides family-friendly outdoor fun for the local community.


We were hoping the drive would include a good amount of autumnal colors as well but sadly the change hadn’t really happened yet, we were probably off by a couple of weeks for that. Driving up to the farm you already get a sense of how massive it really is. We were both excited to get out and start filling a bushel with fresh bounty. 


First of course was a stop to get some hot chocolate and fresh apple cider donuts. Yes, we would have gotten some cider but they were fresh out. With our treats in hand we picked up our sack and headed out to the party. One thing to note about Fishkill Farms is that you’re allowed to drive through the orchard on designated paths. I’d imagine that on a busier weekend day it might be more difficult but we were one of 4 cars out that day, nothing but open roads.


As we enter the orchards and park at the first set of trees we noticed a sign that for a variety of fresh peppers. Everything from your common (and Jaymee’s favorite) bell to some more exotic like the Buena Mulata. We spent a fair amount of time rummaging through this little part of the farm and came away with a nice haul. Sadly still no bell peppers for me.

Back to apples…


I’ve never driven through an orchard before and my feelings were mixed. On one hand I loved the convenience and not having to carry a heavy bag around but on the other I felt like part of the experience was taken away. Considering how large the farm is though this was a great way to get around most of the grounds and see the insane selection of crop they had. Mcintosh, red delicious, Granny Smith, gala, Fuji, northern spy, idared… you name it and they have it. Most of them were picked through already which was a bummer but we did stumble into my new favorite, and the showcase of this recipe. 

In the far corner of the orchard we found some of the more exotic apples, fruits I’ve never tasted before. One bite into the Calville Blanc D’Hiver apple and I was hooked. This apple has an interesting mix of sweet and tart that gives it a unique flavor profile. Of course the origins of this particular variety originated in France so it carries with it a certain je ne sais quoi if you will. My initial thought was ‘I need to make cider out of these!!’ But then I remembered I have no clue how to make cider so the next logical usage was apple turnovers.


I didn’t have a family recipe or some self concocted mash up handy so I had to scour the interwebs for something interesting. I found this recipe with a quick search on Google and added my own little (read super delicious) twist.


Welcome to Bourbon Apple Turnovers with Hot Honey Glaze!


My thought here was to merge some of my favorite flavors into one singular delicious bite. We already know that I was a huge fan of the Calville apples from first taste and my affinity for sweets/baked goods knows no bounds. Bourbon is my preferred drink of choice, always neat, and I thought it would add a nice warm and spicy flavor compliment to the apples. The glaze wasn’t an after thought either. We’re huge fans of Mike’s Hot Honey and I thought it would be fun to incorporate some of the gooey stuff into the glaze to give the bite a nice kick on the back end. Essentially I was looking for a bit that would give you the warm tastes of autumn, the devilish experience of sneaking a drink with a soft party at the end that you wanted to relive over and over again.

So how’d I do it you ask? Good thing for you I have the memory of an elephant…

The night prior to baking peeled and diced about ~5 cups of apples (4 small to medium whole apples). I transferred the apples to large bowl and added 1/2 cup of bourbon (Four Roses in the case but any high quality bourbon will work) and 1 cup of water. Cover and place in the fridge.

For the pie dough I played it safe and used store bought puff pastry. It gives a flakier texture which I preferred but you are welcome to use pie dough or even make your own. Lightly dust a clean surface with flour. Roll the dough out to a rectangle about 1/8 of an inch thick (eyeball about kitchen towels height).

Cut out squares measuring four square inches and transfer to a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and cover with a kitchen towel or plastic wrap. Return prepped squares to fridge.

Set a medium sauce pan or large cast iron skillet over medium-low heat. I used a skillet as I love the heat distribution and has been seasoned nicely over time adding to the flavor profile. Combine brown sugar and butter and stir frequently until syrupy.

Drain apples that have been soaking and add to the pan and stir. Then, add salt, cinnamon, vanilla and cornstarch.

Personal touch here was adding an extra quarter cup of bourbon. Most of the alcohol will burn off if you’re worried about getting trashed on these.

Raise heat to medium and let sit until simmer, mixing occasionally to prevent burning until mixture is thick and alcohol has cooked off (about 5 minutes). Remove from heat and let mixture cool for at least 15 minutes before using.

But don’t just sit and twiddle your thumbs/pick your nose. Make an egg wash and prep the glaze! Both super simple and quick…. For the egg wash: combine egg and water in small bowl. Mix well and set aside.

For the glaze: combine the powdered sugar, milk and Mike’s Hot Honey in small bowl. Mix well. Add additional milk/powdered sugar/Mike’s Hot Honey to vary the consistency and taste.

Remove a set of pastry squares from the fridge. Lightly brush the inside with the egg wash prior to filling.

Scoop about teaspoon into the center of each square, fold one corner to another, press the edges together and use a fork to crimp down. With a sharp knife cut three small slits at the top (to release pressure build up). Continue until all squares are filled.

**Note: have fun with this step. There is no right amount of filling. I actually had too much in some and the pastry dough popped open during baking. Interestingly enough after cooling the edges collapsed a bit and created some very rustic looking turnovers (as you’ll soon see.)***

Brush turnovers with remaining egg wash.

Place in 400 degree oven and bake for 25 minutes or until hints of golden brown begin to appear.

Remove from oven and let stand to cool slightly.

See? Rustic!

Drizzle with the hot honey glaze….

Serve and Enjoy!!!

Or, just enjoy if you’re feeling extra selfish (like I was).

If you like this recipe, pin it!