Tiny Pies Redux, and Oblivious Squirrels

Ages ago I got on a wonton wrapper kick, and made all sorts of interesting things, from tiny pies to ravioli and dumplings and various other ideas.  Then I went on to make my own pasta, so the ravioli idea went away.

But I figured that since it's apple season, and I don't like eating raw apples, but don't mind them cooked, perhaps, since the farmshare is putting in massive apples each week, I'd better see what wonton wrappers will do.  

I'm not fond of making pastry. I make good pastry largely because I have naturally cool hands, always a help from Mother Nature.  But there are many things I'd rather be doing.

Sooooo, all round by China to say I did get a supply of wonton wrappers from my Asian store, and today made a little batch of Tiny Apple Turnovers.  Spells tat.  Oh.  Well, they actually taste pretty good. Seen here on an antique dish, figured it was time to try and make my food look nice, since I don't have a food stylist on staff.  I didn't count, but it's about a dozen and a half, if you need to know how many you'll end up with.

 
Filling: grated and chopped apple, one medium sized, oat flour mixed in to take up some of the juice, note the flour motif recurring throughout recipes these days, splash of lemon juice, drop of almond essence.  Wonton wrappers, edges brushed with water, you can use eggwash if you feel fancy, pressed firmly down, both sides, and  then stabbed with a big antique Russian fork.  Take that, and that!  You can stab them with anything else if you don't happen to have your big Russian antique fork handy right now.

And here they are, with a dusting of confectioner's sugar.  I expect in some kitchens there's a nice little gadget you use to dust stuff with sugar, but in mine you open the bag and shake.  These tiny turnovers are crisp, since the wonton wrappers are unleavened and thin.  I baked them so as to have a little something with my afternoon tea today, and several days going forward.

Meanwhile, out on the patio, demonstrating a great disregard for the work going on indoors, and an independence of needing tiny pies, an athletic squirrel is doing his calisthenics at the same time as getting a nice feast of wild cherries. 

He's welcome to them -- they're bitter and tiny and all pit.  But birds and squirrels and rabbits are crazy for them. I have to keep sweeping the windfalls, cherries, that is,  off the patio so they don't get trodden into the house.