German Chocolate Turnovers

Every time my parents celebrate their wedding anniversary I bake them a sweet treat.  It's usually something with coconut which I don't like, but they love.  In the past I've made them Hawaiian Wedding Cupcakes and Mounds Brownies. My dad's true favorite however is German Chocolate Cake.  Back in October, my pal Jennifer from Take Two Tapas posted a recipe for German Chocolate Wontons.  Basically a sinful little bite of deliciousness full of German Chocolate Frosting.  Isn't that the best part?  Jennifer fried up her little wontons in a bit of oil for the most gorgeous little nugget.  (Her blog Take Two Tapas features great food in small portions, and some of the cutest little bite-sized treats you'll ever see.)  Keep in mind my folks are from small town Oklahoma, celebrating their 58th wedding anniversary so they aren't really wonton eaters lol.  And keep in mind I'm not much of a fryer of foods because I hate the smell and mess because I'm lazy like that.  I decided to adapt Jennifer's recipe using frozen Phyllo dough and the result was amazing.  I had a platter full of gorgeous golden brown turnovers, filled with rich, caramel-like German Chocolate frosting flavor.  My mother said they were to die for.  If you're looking for German Chocolate Cake flavor with a twist, you'll love these as much as my parents did!

A rich, over the top twist on a traditional treat!

Gooey caramel-like coconut frosting
and chocolate chips create the filling.

Fold each phyllo square to create a triangle.
Press the edges closed and brush with an egg wash.

Bake until puffy and golden.

Cool slightly before dusting with powdered sugar.

Enjoy!
Happy Anniversary Mom & Dad

GERMAN CHOCOLATE TURNOVERS

Adapted from: Take Two Tapas


For the Frosting:
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 cup evaporated milk
1/2 cup unsalted butter
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
3 egg yolks
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups shredded coconut
1 cup chopped pecans

For the Turnovers:
1 box frozen Phyllo dough, thawed
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 egg, beaten
powdered sugar for garnish
1 recipe German Chocolate Frosting (above)

In a medium saucepan, combine the sugars, evaporate milk, butter, vanilla, egg yolks and salt.  Cook over medium heat, whisking constantly approximately 15-20 minutes until the mixture begins to thicken but isn't boiling.  Remove the thickened mixture from the heat and stir in the coconut and pecans.  Allow mixture to cool completely before preparing the turnovers.

To make the turnovers:

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.  Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.  Cut each piece of phyllo dough into 4 even squares.  (You should have 8 squares total.) Spread about 2 tablespoons of filling onto each square of dough.  Sprinkle each evenly with chocolate chips.  Fold one corner of the dough over to create a triangle shape.  Press edges closed to seal.  Brush each turnover with beaten egg and bake until the layers of the dough start to rise and separate and the crust is golden brown.  Approximately 20 minutes.   Garnish each turnover with a generous sprinkle of powdered sugar.

Prep Time:  Approximately 30 minutes     Bake Time:  Approximately 20 minutes

If you love coconut, you'll love these:
Hawaiian Wedding Cupcakes

If you enjoyed the German Chocolate Turnovers,
You'll enjoy:
Mounds Brownies