Date and Nut Puff Pastry Turnovers

Ingredients

• For the syrup:
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/4 cup light honey
• 1/4 cup water
• 1 6-inch cinnamon stick
• 2 cloves
• 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg, freshly ground
• 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 1/2 teaspoon orange blossom water
• For the filling:
• 1 cup walnuts, toasted
• 1 cup pistachio nuts, toasted
• 1 cup dates, pitted and roughly chopped
• For the pastry:
• 3 sheets puff pastry, thawed

Directions

1. For the syrup, add all of the syrup ingredients except the orange blossom water to a medium saucepan and warm the mixture until it reaches a simmer. Take the pan off the heat, mix in the orange blossom water, and leave it to cool for 15 minutes.
2. For the filling, put the nuts in a food processor and pulse 3 to 5 times, just until they are roughly chopped. Add the dates and pulse until the pieces of date are about marble-sized; stop before the mixture turns into a paste. Spoon 2 tablespoons of syrup into a small bowl, then combine the remaining syrup with the filling in a large bowl.
3. To shape the turnovers, heat the oven to 400 degrees F and space 3 racks evenly inside. Dust your work surface lightly with flour, then roll the puff pastry into about a 20" by 12" rectangle, using a sharp knife to neaten the edges. Cut the pastry into a 5 by 3 grid, making 4-inch squares.
4. Picture each square divided diagonally into 2 triangles, then prick the middle of one triangle several times with a fork. Add a heaping tablespoon of filling to the pricked half of each square. Fold the pastry over diagonally to make a triangle, then seal the edges by pressing them firmly with the back of a fork’s tines. Make a small vent in the top with the tip of a knife, then brush a very thin layer of syrup over the top of each square. Do the same with the remaining sheets of puff pastry.
5. Arrange the turnovers on sheet pans lined with parchment and bake for 30 minutes, until they are deeply browned, very flaky, and feel dry and firm when touched. Halfway through the bake, switch the top and bottom pans so they cook evenly and do not scorch. Transfer the turnovers to cooling racks, then store them in an airtight container. If you stack them, place wax paper or parchment paper between the layers.