Forget Pie: This Classic Strawberry Dessert Deserves The Turnover Treatment

It's always exciting when new produce comes into season, but it feels particularly special when rhubarb starts to peak. The long, vibrant stalks can add a unique flavor to so many different desserts, especially when paired with another summertime favorite: strawberries. Together, the duo can create a gloriously juicy base for a warming pie, intricate tart, or lightly spiced crumble — or you can switch things up completely by creating a tray of easy, flaky turnovers.

Tasting Table's recipe developer Jessica Morone created this delicious strawberry rhubarb turnover recipe to showcase how simple the process can be. The classic flavors are combined to create a balanced filling that is complimented by the buttery pastry, while a little cream cheese glaze is drizzled on top for an extra touch of decadence. It all works so well together because of the natural flavors of the fruits. The sweetness of the strawberries is balanced by the tart rhubarb, while the cream cheese adds a slight tang that plays into the acidity well.

Turnovers are also much easier to handle than a pie, making them great for bringing to parties or packing for a picnic, and the texture tends to work better with the tender filling. Strawberries and rhubarb both soften a lot when cooked down, so it's better to have them completely encased in a layer of golden, flaky pastry for contrast. There's nothing wrong with a strawberry rhubarb pie — this handheld version just has more bite.

Our strawberry rhubarb turnover recipe is very easy to follow. All you need to do is chop the fruit and simmer with sugar, water, lemon juice, and some cornstarch to thicken. When the chunks have broken down into a spreadable filling, pour into a bowl and cool. Then just roll out some pastry dough, cut into squares, and add a spoon of filling to the center of each before folding into triangles. Bake until golden and drizzle with a simple cream cheese glaze.

You can make your own pastry dough (here is the best butter to use) or use a pre-made one to save time. Here is our ranking of five store-bought puff pastry brands if you're taking that route. Our favorite was Dufour Pastry Kitchens, but the dough from Whole Foods' in-house 365 brand was also solid. You can also use frozen fruit if that's all that's available to you. To avoid adding too much moisture to the filling, defrost the pieces first and don't use extra water.

You can experiment with some of the flavors too. Add cinnamon or cardamom to the filling for a hint of warmth or drizzle in a spoon of vanilla bean paste. You can make a vanilla glaze instead of a cream cheese one too, or incorporate a little orange or lemon zest for a hint of citrus. Serve the turnovers warm for the best experience.