Nights of Lights Fried Cream Cheese Turnovers
Invite friends over to light the Hanukkah menorah, sing songs, and enjoy a supper of veggie pizza followed by these sweet treats.
Makes 6 turnovers
INGREDIENTS
- ½ recipe No-Yeast Crust dough
- 6 tablespoons apricot preserves, melted
- 12 ounces cream cheese
- 2 tablespoons sour cream
- 1 cup confectioners' sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 1 cup chopped dried apricots
- Vegetable oil for frying
- Turbinado sugar
With floured hands, divide dough into six portions. Roll each portion into a 4-inch circle. Brush dough with melted preserves. In a bowl, combine cream cheese, sour cream, confectioners' sugar, and vanilla. Mix well.
Spoon one-sixth of the cream cheese mixture onto half of each dough circle, leaving one-half inch around the edges bare. Sprinkle chopped apricots in the center of each turnover. Fold bare dough over the filling, forming a crescent shape. Moisten dough with water and crimp edges together to seal the pockets.
Pour cooking oil to a depth of 2 inches into a deep skillet or Dutch oven. Turn heat to medium-high. When oil is hot, cook turnovers two at a time for 6 to 8 minutes or until golden on both sides. (Turn carefully at least once during cooking.)
Remove pies from oil and drain on paper towels. Sprinkle liberally with turbinado sugar. Cool for several minutes before serving.
Oil for Days
Hanukkah commemorates a miraculous time during which the consecrated oil in the Temple should have only lasted one day. However, the lamp was lit and the oil lasted eight days. In deference to that history, many Jewish people enjoy foods fried in oil during Hanukkah. Latkes and jelly donuts are favorites. Fried sweet turnovers could become a new tradition.
