One of the not really essential items I ordered from Tupperware a few weeks ago is this little gadget called a Teigfalle. It’s basically a little dough folder that assists in making things like turnovers. When they showed it to us at the Tupperware party, turnovers with ham, cheese and cream filling were being served. I envisioned making little apple turnovers with them and pizza pockets…

Which is still what I intend to do. After using it myself one, I think it works fairly well but you do have to be extra careful not to overfill it. Stefan was playing with it the first night and he absolutely hated it. I have a bit more patience when it comes to cooking, I guess.

Could I make turnovers without this gadget? Absolutely.

Does it make it easier? Sometimes. If you put more than two spoonfuls of filling in them, you’re going to have a total mess. And by spoonfuls I mean a regular teaspoon, slightly heaped. But surprisingly enough, even that small amount of filling ends up making you quite full after you eat two of these with a load of salad.

What would be really useful is if they gave you some sort of cutting guide to go along with this. We tried using the underneath edge of the folder but it cuts the dough too small (about 5 inches across). So we ended up using an inverted Pyrex bowl which made the circles about 6-inches across…just a tiny bit too big, but definitely workable.

Now I just need to get my hands on tons of turnover recipes. I will probably stick to making the dough myself most of the time, since they don’t sell any within walking distance…and it’s really super simple. The cream cheese and butter dough below is super simple to make and really tasty…just make sure you bake it completely or it’s a bit hard to swallow.

The original recipe is for tiny appetizer turnovers, using dough squares about 2 1/2-inches round and 1/8-inch dough thickness with 1 teaspoon of filling. Since I was making these for dinner, I wanted them to be larger and I had no trouble at all with them baking up in the larger version. You can actually make the dough ahead of time and leave it in the fridge, covered by plastic wrap until you’re ready to make them (half of mine was in there for a day). When cold, the dough will get quite hard but as it warms up slightly, it will get much easier to handle. For the filling, it can be warm or completely cooled before going into the turnovers and the oven. It warms up completely while baking…to the point that we burned ourselves the first night we ate these!

Next time I will try putting everything together and freezing them, perhaps baking them for just a few minutes before I freeze them just so they hold their form better. I think you could easily use these for a quick evening meal with salad or some sort of vegetable side dish.

I also really liked this combination below (adapted from my 30 Years of Southern Living cookbook — yes, I swear I do have others!) If you’ve got turnover recipes to share, I’m all ears eyes. They can be breakfast, desert, lunch, dinner or in between!

Print Recipe
Hot Mushroom Turnovers
Cuisine German
Servings
Ingredients
Cuisine German
Servings
Ingredients
Instructions
  1. For Dough Beat cream cheese and 1/2 cup butter at medium speed (2 or 4 in the KitchenAid) with an electric mixer until creamy; gradually add 1 3/4 cups flour, beating well. Divide dough in half; shape each portion into a ball. Cover and chill 1 hour.
  2. For Filling Melt butter in a medium skillet. Add mushrooms and onion; sauté until tender. Stir in sour cream, flour, salt, pepper and thyme. Set aside.
  3. Assembly Preheat oven to 450°F (230°C).
  4. Roll 1 portion of dough to 1/8-inch thickness on a lightly floured surface. Cut into 6-inch round circles.
  5. If using a folder, put it into the contraption, add a couple spoons of filling, brush the edges with egg or water and press the sides together. Open and remove careful, then repeat.
  6. If not using a folder, lay the rounds on a baking sheet with parchment paper or lightly greased. Cut all rounds. Add a couple spoonfuls of filling to each circle, wet the edges and fold over, lining the edges up as best you can and making sure that there are no holes for filling to leak out of. Press the edges with your fingers or a fork to seal.
  7. Prick the tops. Brush with egg.
  8. Bake for 8-12 minutes, or until golden brown. Serve hot.
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