New Mexico Fruit Empanadas Recipes

TEXAS BLACKBERRY AND STRAWBERRY EMPANADAS

Steps:

• In a large mixing bowl, combine flour, sugar, salt and baking powder and mix well. Add shortening and break it up by hand until it resembles cornmeal. Add chicken stock and knead until all is incorporated. Let it rest, covered, for at least 30 minutes in cooler.
• Meanwhile, make the filling. Combine blackberries, strawberries, goat cheese and sugar and mix well.
• When the dough has chilled, roll it out to 1/4-inch thickness on a lightly floured surface with a rolling pin. Cut circles out of the dough with a 4-inch round cutter. Spoon a heaping tablespoon of filling into the center of each dough circle. Beat the eggs and water together in a small bowl. Brush the egg wash all around the edges of the dough. Fold the dough over the filling to make the circles into half moons. Crimp the edges with the tines of a fork to seal the dough closed.
• Heat a pan, filled half way up with peanut oil, to 350 degrees F.
• Fry the empanadas until golden brown, about 6 to 8 minutes, turning them over occasionally with tongs.

NEW MEXICO EMPANADAS

Steps:

• 1. Pastry Directions: Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Using a fork, combine the butter and cream cheese. Sift flour over this mixture. Add baking powder, vinegar and water or milk and combine with fork. With generously floured hands, work the dough until you have a smooth resilient ball. 3 to 4 minutes, but keep working the flour into the other ingredients until the dough suddenly holds together. Flour both the table and your rolling pin. Roll out dough and cut out circles. Oil cookie sheets and place circles or sheets, add 1 heaping teaspoon of filling and carefully fold over and crimp with fork and moistening the edge with egg glaze. Bake in preheated oven for 10 to 15 minutes or until golden brown. Filling Directions: Boil pork. When thoroughly cooked, put in food processor until meat is shredded. Add Raisins, applesauce, sugar, nuts and spices. Mix well and proceed with direction in Empanada Pastry recipe.

BAKED APPLE EMPANADAS

Steps:

• Step 1 Add apples, brown sugar cane, lemon juice, 1 tsp. ground cinnamon and ground cloves to small pot; set pot over medium heat. Cook, stirring occasionally, until sugar dissolves and apples begin to release their liquid. Reduce heat to medium low. Cook, stirring occasionally, until liquid evaporates and apples are tender, about 20-25 minutes. Transfer cooked apples to bowl; chill until cold. (Note: Filling can be stored covered in refrigerator for up to 1 week.) Step 2 Heat oven to 425°F. In small bowl, mix sugar with remaining cinnamon until combined; set aside. Step 3 On lightly floured work surface, using rolling pin, roll out puff pastry round until about ½" larger in diameter. Spoon 2 tbsp. cooled apple mixture into middle of dough. Moisten edges with beaten eggs; fold in half to form half-moon shape. Seal edges by pressing with fork; transfer to parchment-lined baking sheet. Repeat with remaining pastry rounds and filling to make 12 empanadas. Brush tops of empanadas with beaten eggs; sprinkle with cinnamon sugar. Using tip of knife, make small slit in top of each empanada to vent. Step 4 Bake until empanadas are puffed and golden brown, about 20 minutes, rotating pan after 10 minutes for even browning. Transfer empanadas to cooling rack; let sit until cool enough to handle. Serve warm or at room temperature.

EMPANADAS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
• Roll dough to 1/8-inch thickness. Cut into circles, 3 inches in diameter; a plastic lid from a 1 pound coffee can makes perfect circle cutter. Dampen the outside edge of the circle with water. Place 1 1/4 tablespoons of apricot filling in the center of each pastry circle. Fold pastry in half over filling and pinch together to seal; can press with fork to seal. Mix together sugar and cinnamon. Sprinkle over each Empanada. Place Empanadas on a baking tray and bake for 15 to 20 minutes.
• Mix flour and salt in large mixing bowl. Add shortening. Blend flour and shortening into little pieces to look like tiny peas. Add water all at once by sprinkling. Stir with fork to incorporate water into mixture. Add more water if needed. Flour your work surface and hands, scoop dough out of the bowl, place it onto your work surface and pat into a ball. Divide into 3 or 4 smaller balls.
• Place dried fruit in a large pan and cover with water. Cook at medium heat until fruit is soft and almost mushy. Drain excess water. Mix sugar, cinnamon and nutmeg (Pinon nuts are optional) into the fruit mixture, stirring until it is thick. Set aside to cool.

NEW MEXICO FRUIT EMPANADAS

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.
• For the dough: Mix the flour oil, baking powder, cinnamon, sugar. Add just enough water to make the dough silky. Roll the dough out 1/8-inch thick and cut with a 4-inch cookie cutter.
• For the fruit: Mash the fruit with the sugar, cinnamon, cloves and nutmeg. Spoon 2 tablespoons of fruit on one half of a circle of dough, then fold it over to look like a half-moon. Pinch the edges with a fork to seal.
• Bake until brown, about 15 minutes, then sprinkle with cinnamon sugar.