Delicate yogurt dough, fragrant apples, cinnamon, and walnuts come together in these small pockets to create a tender homemade pastry. The filling is pleasantly juicy, but thanks to a quick simmer, it doesn’t leak and is easy to work with.
The dough doesn’t need to rise; just chill it for 30–60 minutes after making. Then roll it out, fill, and bake the pockets briefly. Once completely cooled, dust them with powdered sugar to taste and serve with coffee or tea.
What You’ll Need
For the dough:
- 1 small egg,
- 70 g sour cream or plain yogurt,
- 70 g granulated sugar,
- 100 g butter,
- 45 ml sunflower oil,
- 40 g corn starch,
- about 280 g plain flour,
- 1 tsp baking powder,
- a pinch of salt,
- 1 packet vanilla sugar.
For the apple-walnut filling:
- 2–3 apples, total 400–500 g,
- 70 g walnuts, ground or finely chopped,
- 2 tbsp sugar,
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon.
For finishing:
- powdered sugar to taste.
The original recipe doesn’t specify the exact amount of powdered sugar, so add it to taste.
Step-by-Step Preparation:
1. Preparing the ingredients: Let the butter soften so it can be easily whipped with the other ingredients. Prepare the apples for grating and grind or finely chop the walnuts, depending on how much texture you want in the filling.
2. Making the dough base: In a large bowl, place the softened butter, pour in the sunflower oil, add the granulated and vanilla sugar, a pinch of salt, the small egg, and the sour cream or plain yogurt. Whip everything together until smooth.
3. Adding the dry ingredients: Gradually add the plain flour mixed with baking powder and corn starch to the whipped base. Combine the ingredients thoroughly and knead into a smooth, non-sticky dough. Use about 280 g of flour as indicated in the original recipe.
4. Chilling the dough: Wrap the finished dough in plastic wrap and chill for 30–60 minutes. Resting makes it easier to roll and cut, and the dough won’t warm up as much in your hands when filling.
5. Preparing the apple filling: Mix the grated apples with two tablespoons of sugar and place them in a pan. Stirring occasionally, cook until the liquid is released and then evaporated. This way, the filling won’t leak out of the pockets during baking.
6. Adding walnuts and cinnamon: Add the ground or finely chopped walnuts and ground cinnamon to the apples. Cook the mixture for another minute, then remove from the heat and let it cool completely before filling the dough.
7. Cutting and filling: Roll out the chilled dough and cut out circles. Place an appropriate amount of cooled apple-walnut filling in the center of each circle and fold the edges of the dough over the filling to shape individual pockets.
8. Baking: Arrange the shaped pockets on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Place them in an oven preheated to 170°C and bake for about 10–15 minutes. Adjust the time according to the size of the pastries and keep an eye on them as they bake.
9. Cooling and finishing: Let the baked pockets cool completely. Only then dust them with powdered sugar to taste, so it doesn’t melt on the warm surface. Then they’re ready to serve.
How to Prepare a Filling That Doesn’t Leak
With grated apples, it’s important to let the released liquid evaporate in the pan. The finished mixture should remain moist but not watery. The added walnuts not only enhance the flavor but also give the filling a fuller texture.
Let the mixture cool completely before filling. A hot filling would warm and soften the dough, making it harder to shape the pockets.
Why Chill the Dough Before Rolling
Resting in the fridge for 30–60 minutes helps the dough firm up after working in the soft butter, oil, and sour cream or yogurt. Chilled dough is easier to roll, cut, and fold over the filling.
Work smoothly so the dough doesn’t sit out at room temperature for too long. Have the filling ready and cooled before cutting, so you can fill and arrange the pockets on the baking sheet right away.
Final Tip
You can grind the walnuts finely or chop them into small pieces. Finely ground walnuts make a smoother filling, while chopped ones add more texture. Add powdered sugar only to completely cooled pastries and adjust the amount to your taste.
