Raspberry turnovers

Devin Owen
MSMU Class of 2026

(5/2025) Growing up I spent a great deal of my time in the kitchen, whether it be in my own, my grandparents’ or at a friend’s house. You could almost always find me whipping up some concoction. Now I’m certainly not the best cook you’ll ever come across, but I have always tried my best. Most days after school I would go to my grandparents’ houses. Both of my grandmothers loved to indulge my sweet tooth so we would spend a lot of time baking while my little brother played with toys. To this day I always try to set aside time to go bake with my Grandma Pat and my Gigi, it happens mostly around the holidays. The love for baking has been passed down through generations, the cooking gene not so much. Both my sister and I learned from our grandmothers and our mom, who would bake homemade cakes every year on our birthdays.

As I am writing this, the Easter holiday is approaching quickly, so all of the women in my family are deciding what to bake and share with those closest to us. My sister is spending the days leading up to the holiday baking homemade Sourdough Cinnamon Rolls, both for our family and to sell to others—because they’re just that good. My mom and grandmother have yet to decide on what they’re making, but I’m sure I’ll end up helping with that.

There are so many recipes I have learned over the years, all of which I hold close to my heart, but none more than my homemade raspberry turnovers. I have always had a habit of finding pastry recipes on Pinterest and trying my hand at them, but this is one I consider a "gold mine" because I was simply experimenting with different ideas and concoctions from the past and ended up with my favorite treat to make.

There are so many memories I have associated with this recipe and, looking back, I cannot believe how far I’ve come. When I first made the turnovers, they turned out okay but not as great as I had hoped. They were way too sweet, and I didn’t know how to make icing at the time, so we used leftover icing from a Dominos order. Not very creative but it did the job. Fast forward to now and I’ve made this recipe so many times that I know it like the back of my hand! They are certainly much better now than they were when I first made them, but there is still always room for improvement. My next goal is to make the puff pastry from scratch—a feat I have yet to accomplish. It is likely I will need to implement my sister’s skill set for making dough of all sorts; her talent is unmatched!

If you’ve read Four Years At The Mount before, you may remember my referencing of these treats in past articles. One of the most stagnant memories I have associated with this recipe is that of my Uncle Charlie. For those who haven’t read my articles before, April 18th marks two years since he passed after a 15-year-long battle with cancer. I remember the first time I brought raspberry turnovers to a family function; it was our Christmas Eve lunch/dinner and since I had just "perfected" the recipe, I wanted to share it with everyone. It’s important to note that my uncle’s sweet tooth was more intense than anyone else I knew—it was practically insatiable. He was the first to try one when we got to my grandma’s house, and he never stopped raving about them. It was then that a sort of tradition started; I would make raspberry turnovers for holidays and special gatherings when I could afford to. My uncle never stopped raving about them and his whole face lit up when he would see I’ve brought them. I can remember him constantly asking, "Hey Dev, when are you gonna make those flaky fruit things again. They were real good." Uncle Charlie pushed me to do a lot of things with my life; he wanted me to live life to the fullest extent and have no regrets. He always made sure that I felt confident and loved, and making the turnovers always reminds me of how much he loved both sweets and me.

I’ve made turnovers plenty more times since the first, and each time I remember why I love them so much! I just recently made them for my roommates to try for the first time and I’ve been told that I need to do it more often. It served us well because for one hour in the kitchen, I had breakfast for the next couple of days! My boyfriend and his friends are big fans too, and ask me to make them frequently. It all serves as a reminder that something so small can really impact others. I must say that I wouldn’t have as much love for baking without the wonderful women in my life, so to them I am eternally grateful. I hope the rest of the world can come to enjoy these treats as much as I enjoy making them!

In case you’d like to try your hand at it, here is my favorite recipe for raspberry turnovers!

Ingredients:

• 2 sheets of Puff Pastry (makes 8 large pastries)
• 1 pack of raspberries
• 1 cup white sugar
• 2 tablespoons water
• 1 egg white
• Confectioner sugar
• Milk
• Vanilla extract

Directions: Heat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit.  In a saucepan, on medium heat, mix together raspberries, sugar and water until a sort of jelly consistency is formed. Once formed, take off heat and let cool. While the raspberry puree is cooling (which makes it thicker as well), roll out your sheets of pastry and cut into four squares. Add the puree to the middle of each square and then fold into a triangle. Seal the edges with the tip of a fork or your fingers. Then, with the egg white, lightly coat the top of the pastry and add a sprinkle of sugar. Bake pastries for 20-24 minutes or until golden.

For the icing I use no exact measurements. Take a small bowl and mix together confectioner sugar, milk and a splash of vanilla until a creamy consistency and desired sweetness is reached. Drizzle over pastries when cooled.