Pumpkin Pie Empanadas
Warm and comforting pastries filled with pumpkin goodness, perfect for any occasion.
Warm and comforting pastries filled with pumpkin goodness, perfect for any occasion.
- filling:
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
- 1 15-oz can pumpkin puree
- 1 cup dark brown sugar packed
- 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 2 packages pie pastry refrigerated , (4 rounds ready to unroll and use)
- 1 cup all-purpose flour for dusting
- wash:
- 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 2 tablespoons ground cinnamon
- 2 tablespoons milk, cream, or evaporated milk (i prefer fat-free)
- equipment: 4 inch cutter or equivalent, rolling p
- Carbohydrate 44.9133885416667 g
- Cholesterol 0 mg
- Fat 0.297775625 g
- Fiber 5.08200836269061 g
- Protein 2.47559708333333 g
- Saturated Fat 0.078369125 g
- Serving Size 1 1 Serving (115g)
- Sodium 78.8839791666667 mg
- Sugar 39.8313801789761 g
- Trans Fat 0.0995764374999999 g
- Calories 186 calories
Step-by-step
- Preheat the oven to 375°F.
- Meanwhile, put the pumpkin puree, brown sugar, 2 teaspoons of the cinnamon, the salt, cloves, ginger, and nutmeg in a mixing bowl. With a wire whisk or a spoon, stir until thoroughly combined. (if you want to reduce the sugar content you can use less sugar or use splenda granules)
- With a little all-purpose flour, lightly dust a flat, smooth work surface. Unroll a round of the pie pastry and turn it to coat both sides lightly with the flour. With a 4-inch-diameter cutter or something with a 4-inch-diameter rim, cut out 4 circles from the 4 quadrants of the circle, and set aside. Gather up the scraps and set aside. Repeat with the other 3 rounds of pastry. (if you only have a 5 inch cutter its ok, you're just going to have a few less empanandas)
- Gather together all the pastry scraps. With your hands, knead them briefly, and then form into a ball. Lightly dust a rolling pin and the ball with some flour. Roll out the ball into a circle the same thickness as the previous dough (a little thicker isn't going to hurt anything). Re-knead and cut the dough scraps until you get about 2 dozen circles.
- Take one circle of dough and put 1 level tablespoon of the filling on its center. Fold the circle of dough in half over the filling to enclose it, aligning the edges of the half-circle of dough. With the tines of a fork, press down all along the joined edges to seal the empanada. Place the empanada on a baking sheet and repeat with the remaining dough and filling. (if you ended up using a bigger diameter cutter, just put in enough filing so that it can close, even the real bakery ones have a little that squeezes out, so don't stress)
- In a small bowl, stir together the remaining 2 tablespoons of cinnamon and the granulated sugar. Put the milk, cream, or evaporated milk in another small bowl.
- Dip your fingertip in the milk and use your fingertip or brush to moisten the top surface of each empanada. Then sprinkle the empanadas with the cinnamon-sugar mixture, im usually generous, but about 1/2 tsp is good per empanada.
- Put 1 baking sheet in the preheated oven. Bake the empanadas until golden brown, 20 to 25 minutes, checking to make sure they don't burn. Halfway through the baking time, rotate the baking sheet 180 degrees for more even baking.
- Remove the baking sheet from the oven and leave the empanadas to cool to room temperature. Meanwhile, bake the second batch. Enjoy the empanadas hot or cold. Store cooled empanadas in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
Rotate the baking sheet 180 degrees at the twelve-minute mark to ensure the pastries brown evenly in a 375-degree oven. Empanadas bridge the culinary traditions of Spanish empanada turnovers and indigenous American squash ingredients. Conquistadors brought wheat pastry techniques to the Americas, where local cooks eventually adapted the dough envelopes to enclose native squashes and pumpkins.
The Role of Scrap Re-Rolling
Gathering pastry scraps into a ball and rolling them out again requires a light hand. Overworking the gluten develops toughness, so knead the dough briefly just until it coheres. If using a 4-inch cutter, press the fork tines firmly into the edges to create a secure barrier that prevents the spiced pumpkin filling from leaking out during baking.
Baking and Storage Parameters
Bake the assembled pastries for 20 to 25 minutes until the exterior turns golden brown. Store any leftovers in an airtight container inside the refrigerator once they reach room temperature.
