Sweet Cherry Turnovers

Cherry season is oh so short, but oh so sweet. With so many recipes to make in such little time, what shall you do?

Sure, it's easy to eat all of the Harry & David Plump-Sweet Cherries straight from the box when they arrive. But, you must resist the urge. Save a handful to make these sweet little cherry turnovers.

Turnovers are flaky, buttery pastries that encase a sweet fruit filling. My favorite aspect of turnovers is that they are individually sized, so unlike a cherry pie, you don't have to share! Turnovers are a fun summer treat because they can be made out of any fruit, and there's no shortage of seasonal fruit in summer.

How to make cherry turnovers

You'll want to remove the puff pastry from the freezer to defrost on the counter for about 30 minutes before you start cooking. The pastry should be soft and pliable before proceeding, but make sure it doesn't get too warm and soft.

While the puff pastry is defrosting, you can prepare the cherries. Harry & David cherries are so big that two halved cherries is plenty to fill one turnover, so you'll only need to pit and halve one dozen (plus a few extra for snacking while you bake, of course!). Toss the cherries with sugar and a squeeze of lemon juice. The sugar will coax the juices out of the cherries, and the lemon juice will amplify their sweetness.

Unroll the puff pastry and use a rolling pin to roll it into a 12-inch square. Slice it into four equal pieces (a pizza cutter works great for this task). Then, pile the cherries in a line in the center of each puff pastry square. Brush the edges of the pastry with a beaten egg and then fold one corner of the pastry gently over the cherries to meet the opposite corner. Use a fork to press the edges together.

Finally, brush the remaining egg wash over the tops of the turnovers and sprinkle them with coarse sugar before baking. This will help the turnovers become flaky while they cook.

Now the only question is: Do we eat the cherry turnover for breakfast or dessert?!