Greetings from the Windy City! I’m in Chicago this week (our little guy is meeting his great-grandma for the first time!) and have traded the sand and sun of southern California for the lake and just a tad less sun of one of my all-time favorite cities.
Being in Chicago has reminded me of the incredible four years I spent just outside the city while attending Northwestern University. We even had the chance to take our little guy for his first visit to campus, which is where my husband and I met 12 years ago. It’s been a week of fantastic memories old and new, and amazing food (including Julian’s first ice cream!).
And I’m continuing the sweetness of spring with Strawberry Rhubarb Turnovers. But first, a quick Q+A for all those who may have also Googled “Is rhubarb a fruit or vegetable?” The answer is…
A vegetable! It’s very mellow in taste and the consistency and appearance is akin to celery, but with a pop of pink color.
For this strawberry rhubarb turnovers recipe, I’ve slow-cooked the stalky veggie then stirred in juicy strawberries and sweetened the mix with a bit of sugar and a dash of cinnamon. The tangy fruit jam is then tucked inside buttery puff pastry pockets for the ultimate celebration of warmer temps and longer days.
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Ingredients
For the turnovers:
- 1 1/2 cups diced rhubarb (1-inch pieces)
- 1/4 cup sugar
- 1 cup diced strawberries
- 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
- Flour, for dusting work surface
- 1 (17.3-oz.) package frozen puff pastry (2 sheets), thawed
- 1 large egg, whisked
For the glaze:
- 3/4 cup powdered sugar
- 1 Tablespoon whole milk
- 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
Make the turnovers:
- Combine the rhubarb and sugar in a medium saucepan set over medium-low heat. Simmer the mixture, stirring occasionally, until the rhubarb is tender, 5 to 10 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the strawberries and cinnamon. Set the mixture aside to cool to room temp. Once the mixture has cooled completely, strain out any liquids.
- When ready to prepare the turnovers, preheat the oven to 400°F and line two baking sheets with parchment paper or Silpats.
- Unfold the puff pastry sheets onto a lightly floured work surface the using a rolling pin, gently roll the pastry to seal any perforations. Cut each sheet of puff pastry into 4 squares.
- Divide the strawberry-rhubarb filling among the squares, spooning a portion into the centers of the squares and then carefully folding them in half diagonally to form triangles. Using a fork, crimp together the edges to seal them then transfer the turnovers to the prepared baking sheets, spacing them at least 2 inches apart.
- Cut three small slits atop each turnover then brush them with the egg. Bake the turnovers for 15 to 18 minutes or until they’re golden brown and puffed. Remove the turnovers from the oven and transfer them to a cooling rack to cool completely while you make the glaze.
Make the glaze:
- Sift the powdered sugar into a medium bowl then whisk in the milk and vanilla extract until the glaze is smooth.
- Once the turnovers have cooled completely, use a fork to drizzle them with the glaze or alternately, transfer the glaze to a sealable plastic bag or piping bag and pipe it atop the turnovers. Serve immediately.
Kelly’s Note:
- The filling can be prepared one day in advance and stored in an airtight container in the fridge and then strained just prior to filling the turnovers.
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Recipe by Kelly Senyei of Just a Taste. Please do not reprint this recipe without my permission. If you'd like to feature this recipe on your site, please rewrite the method of preparation and link to this post as the original source.
Hi! Can I use strawberry rhubarb jam while rhubarb is out of season? It might be overcook the jam since it’s already been prepared into a jam.
Definitely! No need to cook it, just seal it in the turnovers.
good recipe all turned out fine, i introduced fresh ginger to the rhubarb during cooking. worked well
I’m so glad you enjoyed the recipe, Paul!
How should the turnovers be stored? Thank you!
Hi Jen! The turnovers are best when enjoyed within a day of baking them, but they can be stored at room temperature in an airtight container or wrapped in plastic wrap for up to 3 days.
So delicious. Instead of milk I used the strained liquid from my strawberry rhubarb mixture in the glaze. Will definitely make these again!
I’m thrilled you enjoyed the recipe, Michelle!
what if you over cook the rhubarb and its kind of like a mush??? still tastey but im not sure how to strain it now
Strain it through a fine mesh sieve to remove as much water as possible and just add more strawberries to compensate for the liquid :) You’ll be fine!
Can I use frozen rhubarb in this recipe?
Definitely! Just make sure to thaw and drain it :)
Can they turnovers be frozen after baking? Or maybe even before baking? I’m a beginner baker.. not sure which would be better option..
If either. hank you!
Hi Sabrina! I’d recommend freezing them first and then baking off as needed, but you may need to increase the bake time.
Delicious! The hint of cinnamon balanced the sweet and tart from the strawberries and rhubarb perfectly.
So glad you enjoyed the recipe, Lesley!
I Don’t know why cinnamon adds just the right flavor to every sweet dish I have made. But it just perfectly fits it with any sweet dish. This looks so beautiful.Could I try it out with blueberries?
What do you think how would it be?
Blueberries would be delicious!
Thanks… I went ahead and did it. YES, do place in a strainer! Removed about 1/4C of liquid from my mixture. Thanks for the deliciousness!
Awesome! So glad you enjoyed the recipe, Lisa!
Sweet recipe!
Question: When you say “Strain out any liquid,” can you provide more detail? Like, should I actually put the mixture in a strainer to remove almost all liquid? Or, is this just a “use a spoon to remove some of the extra liquid” sort of situation? Thank you!
I’d use a strainer!
This is the Perfect strawberry rhubarb filling! Just enough sweet and lots of flavor! I can see using this for ice cream topping, pancakes, quick bread, muffins……
Thank you for sharing.
Thrilled you enjoyed the recipe, Sheila! And I love your ideas for using the filling elsewhere, too! It would be delicious over ice cream :)
This was amazing.. I needed to do something with the rhubarb I just picked..the cinnamon adds just the right flavor to the sweetness from the strawberries and the start from the rhubarb. They were a hit in my house! Thank you.
So glad you enjoyed the recipe, Deb!
I want to try it, thanks!
Enjoy, Dave!
This is Fabulous. Would love to make it soon. Thanks for your guidance.
Enjoy!