Apple Citron Turnover

This big half-moon-shaped turnover is bursting with chunks of apples, raisins and tiny pieces of citron. When you taste what candied citron does for the apple filling, you may want to try some in your next apple pie. High quality candied citron, the kind that comes in big chunks, always makes me think of a lemon that's been dipped in allspice and sugar. Even supermarket citron is good in this tart. Hill farmers make it in the Versilla area of northern Tuscany on January 6, the Epiphany, the Twelfth Day of Christmas, and in Italy, the Day of the Befana when everyone gets presents.

Cook to Cook: Like most pastry doughs, this one benefits from a brief (30 minute) chill after it's rolled out. Bring the dough to room temperature before filling the tart, or it will break when you lift it over the apple filling to make the crescent or turnover shaped tart.

Ingredients

Pastry:

• 1-3/4 cups (6.25 ounces) all-purpose unbleached flour (organic preferred)

• Pinch salt

• 1 tablespoon sugar

• Shredded zest of a medium lemon

• 7 tablespoons (3.5 ounces) cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces

• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

• 1 large egg yolk

• 1/4 cup cold water

Filling:

• 2/3 cup raisins soaked in hot water, drained, and dried

• 3 large (1-1/2 pounds) apples (preferably organic), peeled, cored, and thinly sliced (use Honeycrisp, Granny Smith, Braeburn, Keepsake, Liberty, or Haralson, or a blend of several)

• 7 tablespoons (3 ounces) sugar, or to taste

• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

• Generous pinch freshly ground black pepper

• 1/3 cup finely-snipped candied citron

• Shredded zest of a large lemon

• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter, thinly sliced

Instructions

1. Make pastry by combining in a bowl or food processor the flour, salt, sugar, and lemon zest. Cut in butter and olive oil with processor until mixture resembles very coarse meal. Rub ingredients between your fingertips if not using food processor. Add yolk and water, tossing until dough forms moist crumbles. Gather into a ball and let rest at room temperature while buttering a 16-inch pizza pan, or large cookie sheet. On a floured surface, roll out dough to an 18-inch circle and fit it into the pan, trimming away overhang. Chill 30 minutes.

2. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Blend filling ingredients in a large bowl and let stand at room temperature. After 30 minutes, bring pastry to room temperature. With a slotted spoon transfer filling to cover half the dough (reserve its liquid), leaving a 1-1/2 inch border at its rim. Moisten edges with water. This dough is fragile — guide it carefully to cover the filling, forming a half moon. If it tears, simply press torn edges together. Seal edges and crimp.

3. Brush crust with reserved filling liquid and cut 3 slashes into top. Bake 50 minutes to 1 hour, or until the tart is a rich brown color and crisp. Apples should be soft when pierced with a knife through one of the vent holes. With 2 spatulas, gently slide the tart from the pan onto a large oval platter. Cool and cut across the tart's width into slices.