Sweet Potato Empanadas Recipes

SWEET POTATO EMPANADAS

Steps:

• Dough: Cream the cream cheese and butter in a large bowl using an electric mixer at medium speed.
• When well mixed, add the flour and salt in two or three additions and continue to mix just until the dough comes together.
• Turn out the dough and knead a few times to form a cohesive ball.
• Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and chill it for at least three hours and up to a few days.
• Filling: Peel the yams and slice them into equal-sized chunks.
• Rinse the yams off and place them in a medium pot with about two inches of cold water.
• Bring to a boil, and then simmer until tender. 15 - 25 minutes depending on the size of the yams.
• When you can slide a knife easily into the yams, remove from heat and drain.
• Add butter, cumin, salt and a few grinds of black pepper and mash together until smooth.
• Chill filling until cool. If you make the filling right after the dough, they will both be ready at the same time, or you can cover and keep in the fridge for a few days.
• Assembly:Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F.
• Divide dough in half. Roll out one half to 1/8" thickness. This will be easier if the dough has only chilled for three hours, but if it has been overnight, it is still possible, just a little harder. Do not let the dough set out a room temperature.
• Cut out circles using a 3" biscuit cutter or a glass.
• Place your dough rounds on a cookie sheet, separating layers with waxed paper. Continue with the other dough half. The remainders can be re-rolled once to no ill effect. The dough rounds can be used right away, or kept wrapped in plastic in the fridge for up to two days.
• Place about a teaspoon of filling in a dough round and fold in half. Pinch the edges together to form the empanads. There is no need to seal the edges with anything other than your fingers, although the tines of a fork make an interesting design.
• Place each filled empanada on a cookie sheet lined with a Silpat about one inch apart.
• Make the egg wash by beating the egg with the water.
• Brush the egg wash on each pastry being sure to cover the entire empanada.
• Make a small slit in the top of each empanada with a sharp paring knife.
• At this point, I like to chill the empanadas for an additional 10 minutes to be sure that they keep their shape in the oven.
• Bake each tray at 450 degrees for 10-12 minutes until they are golden. Cool on racks.

BLACK BEAN AND SWEET POTATO EMPANADAS

Steps:

• For the dough:
• Combine the flour and salt in the bowl of a food processor. Cut in the butter, pulsing a few times until the mixture is like coarse meal with pea-sized lumps. Add the eggs, white vinegar, and 1/3 to 2/3 cup cold water, continuing to pulse just until the dough comes together. Transfer the dough to a work surface, form into a flat disk and wrap tightly in plastic wrap. Chill in the refrigerator for 1 hour, while making the filling and yogurt sauce.
• For the filling:
• Toast the chile powder, coriander and cumin in a skillet until fragrant. Add the jalapenos, sweet potatoes and black beans. Season to taste with salt.
• For the yogurt sauce:
• Combine the yogurt, lemon juice and zest, cilantro and cumin in a small bowl and mix. Season to taste with salt. Cover and refrigerate until ready to use.
• Preheat an oven to 400 degrees F.
• Portion the dough into 10 balls. On a floured work surface, roll each dough ball into a 6-inch circle. Spoon 3 to 4 tablespoons of filling into the center of each circle. Brush the edges with egg wash before folding the dough over to create a crescent shape. Press and seal edges. Cut 3 slits across the top of each empanada and brush the tops of each with egg wash. Bake until golden brown, about 25 minutes. Serve with the yogurt sauce.
• Instructions for freezing:
• Follow instructions for building empanadas, but do not brush the tops with the egg wash. Place built empanadas on a parchment-lined baking sheet and put into the freezer. Once the empanadas have frozen, place them in a plastic re-sealable bag and return to the freezer for up to 2 weeks.
• Instructions for reheating:
• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Place the frozen empanadas on a parchment-lined baking sheet. In a small bowl, whisk one whole egg and brush over the tops of the empanadas. Bake until golden brown and heated through, 35 to 40 minutes.

SAUSAGE SWEET POTATO EMPANADAS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400°. Place apples and sweet potato on a foil-lined rimmed baking sheet. Drizzle with oil; sprinkle with salt, pepper and cinnamon. Toss to coat. Roast until tender, about 20 minutes., Meanwhile, in a large skillet, cook sausage over medium heat until no longer pink, 4-6 minutes, breaking into crumbles; drain. Add apple mixture and goat cheese; stir to combine., On a lightly floured surface, roll crust to 1/4-in. thickness. Cut with a floured 3-in. round biscuit cutter. Place circles 2 in. apart on parchment-lined baking sheets. Place 1 heaping teaspoon filling on 1 side of each circle. Beat egg and water. Brush edges of pastry with egg wash; fold circles in half. With a fork, press edges to seal. Brush with egg wash. Bake until golden brown, 12-15 minutes per batch. Freeze option: Bake and cool empanadas. Freeze cooled empanadas in freezer containers. To use, reheat empanadas on a baking sheet in a preheated 400° oven until heated through, 12-15 minutes.

SWEET POTATO MINI EMPANADAS!

Steps:

• 1. In a small pot add diced sweet potato and cover with water boil for 20-25 minutes until fork tender. In food processor add butter, cream cheese, flour and salt pulse until dough comes together. You can also do this by hand or with a mixer. put Dough in flour counter and make into a ball wrap with plastic wrap and let it chill for 1 hour. You can also do this ahead of time. After potato is cooked drain and add back into pot add sugar, honey, butter and salt. mash with wooden spoon or potato masher. Put mixture in plastic container (at this point you can add raisins optional)and put in fridge to cool.
• 2. After 1 hour get baking pans ready and preheat oven to 375 F. Flour your board or counter and roll out dough to 1/4 inch thick. Get your round cookie cutter I use a 3 inch one, Start cutting out the dough. I got 36 rounds out of my dough. In each round put a tsp full of filling in middle of round. fold over and press edge down with finger and crimp with a fork. Repeat until you are done with all the rounds.
• 3. Place empanadas in prepared cookie sheets with a pastry rush brush with egg wash and sprinkle with cinnamon sugar if desired optional. Cook for 25 minutes in preheated oven and let cool for at least 15 minutes. This recipe is so good and easy to make especially for kids. You can add raisins or nuts to the filling or both. You can use canned pie filling or do nutela and bananas as well. Some times I do an apple filling. Or you can do a savory filling like picadillo or chicken. If doing savory filling omit the 1/4 cup of sugar in the recipe.

SPICY SWEET POTATO EMPANADAS

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Line one sheet pan with aluminum foil and another with parchment paper.
• Rub the sweet potatoes with olive oil and prick them all over with the tines of a fork. Place the potatoes on the foil-lined sheet pan. Bake for about 1 hour, until very tender when pierced with a knife. Lower the oven to 375 degrees.
• Allow the potatoes to cool enough to handle, then peel and discard the skins, placing the potatoes in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Add the sour cream, butter, maple syrup, chile powder, orange zest, orange juice, 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt, and 3/4 teaspoon black pepper and mix well. Set aside.
• Unfold one sheet of the cold puff pastry on a floured cutting board. Roll the sheet into a 12-inch square with a rolling pin. With a sharp paring knife, cut four 5-inch circles from the pastry, using a dish as a guide and discarding the scraps. Place a heaping soup spoon of filling on each circle, leaving a 1-inch border. Brush the edges of the circles with the egg wash and fold over, making half circles. Crimp the edges together with the tines of a fork. Repeat with the second sheet of puff pastry. Place on the parchment-lined sheet pan. Chill for 15 minutes.
• Brush with the egg wash and sprinkle with the sea salt and pepper. Make 2 small slits in each empanada to allow steam to escape. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, until puffed and browned. Serve hot.