Pumpkin Empanadas
The minute I saw the beautiful, bright picture of the pumpkin wtih the empanadas next to it, I knew this was a recipe I had to try at home. A fellow blogger from Muy Bueno Cookbook posted it, it's a recipe she grew up making with her grandmother. So as soon as I had a chance over the weekend I got started.
Everyone absolutely loved these and they were gone in no time!!
I'm posting the recipe exactly as I found it on my fellow Latina's blog.
Makes 24-30 empanadas
Pumpkin Filling
INGREDIENTS:
2 tablespoons butter
3/4 cup dark brown sugar, packed firmly
1 cup organic pumpkin, NOT pie filling
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
DIRECTIONS:
Melt the butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Stir in the brown sugar until it dissolves with the butter.
Stir in the pumpkin and the spices. Continue to stir over medium heat for about 10 minutes. Make sure the filling is not too watery; otherwise, let it cook for a couple more minutes.
Remove the saucepan from the heat and let it cool down. After it's cooled off for about 15 minutes, put the filling in the refrigerator to help it set for 30 minutes or overnight.
You can make the Empanada Dough while the filling is cooling off.
Empanada Dough
Ingredients
3 cups flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup shortening
2 eggs
1/2 cup milk
2 tablespoons sugar
DIRECTIONS:
Mix the first 3 dry ingredients. Cut in the shortening with the dry ingredients. Works better if you use your hands. Add the eggs, milk and sugar. Continue to work in with your hands.
Split the dough in half, wrap in plastic wrap and put in the refrigerator for about 20-30 minutes. Take out one half of the dough and split it into 12-18 balls of dough. Depending on how small you want your empanadas.
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. You can fill your empanadas with any preserves made ahead of time.
Roll out the dough into small round circles. Add a small dollop of filling on one half of the rolled out dough.
Wet the botton edge of the dough with water to help seal the two halves. Fold over the dough to seal. Seal off the edges with a fork by pressing down along the two edges. This also makes for a pretty pattern when baked.
Brush each empanada with egg whites, sprinkle with sugar and puncture each empanada with a fork to allow steam to escape while baking. Spray a large cookie sheet with cooking spray **I (Sonia) used a stoneware tray = no need for spraying**, place the empanadas on the cookie sheet and bake for 15-20 minutes on medium rack in the oven. If after 15 minutes you notice the bottoms of the empanadas starting to brown, move the cookie sheet to the top rack and continue to bake for the last 5 minutes.
That's it. Let them cool and enjoy! The are the perfect size.
Provecho!
