PUMPKIN EMPANADAS RECIPE FROM SCRATCH RECIPES

Steps:

• Set oven to 425 °F.
• In mixing bowl combine flour and salt. Add butter and mix with beater until well blended. Add vegetable shortening; mix. Stir in water and egg and beat until well blended. The dough should stick together when held in your hand. Place mixture in a zip-top bag and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
• For the filling: In small saucepan over medium heat, melt butter and stir in the brown sugar. Heat until the sugar is dissolved into the butter. Stir in pumpkin and cinnamon. Stir over heat for 3 minutes. Remove from heat and place pumpkin mixture in refrigerator to cool off completely. Filling must be cooled.
• Lightly grease a large baking sheet. Take chilled pastry dough out of refrigerator and divide it in half. Return the remaining half to refrigerator. Divide dough you have into 6 balls. On a floured board or table, roll each ball into a circle with a rolling pin. Fill each circle with about 2 tablespoons cooled pumpkin filling. Fold one side of circle over and press down on the edges. You must press edges together to keep filling from running out. Take the remaining egg and put it into a small bowl, add 1 teaspoon of water and beat. With pastry brush, brush egg wash on top of each empanada.
• Place the first 6 empanadas on the baking sheet and bake for 15 minutes or until they are golden and the edges are lightly browned.
• Take the rest of the pastry dough out of the refrigerator and follow the same instructions. When you are finished, you should have 12 empanadas.
• Enjoy!

Steps:

• Empanada Pastry: In a medium bowl mix together the sugar, warm water, yeast, salt, baking powder, and cinnamon. Stir real well to dissolve real good. In another bowl put 1 cup of the flour and pour your wet ingredients over the flour. With your mixer mix everything real real good. Now add the vegetable shortening and continue to use mixer and incorporate everything real good. Now take the remaing 2 cups flour and little by little in small increments continue to mix into your mixture of shortening and wet ingredients. Mix everything until you have a nice dough. You may have to add a little more warm water but in very small increments and continue to knead until you have a nice dough not real sticky just moist enough to hold together. Shape into a large ball and then cut into four equal pieces. Cover and let rest for 10 minutes. After 10 minutes have passed take each piece and make little balls the size of ping pong balls. Do all of your dough this way and cover with plastic wrap so the dough does not dry out. Let rest while you mix the filling.
• Filling: Take your pumpkin and place into a large bowl, add the sugar, salt, ground ginger, ground cloves, and the ground cinnamon. With a wisk or large spoon mix everything real good. Taste to see if the mixture has the right spice. You may want to add a little more cinnamon, ginger, and cloves in your pumpkin. Now add the two scant tablespoons of heavy cream and continue to mix very well incorporating everyhting real good.
• Pre heat oven to 350 degrees, Line two cookie sheet pans with parchment paper. Spray the parchment paper with a little Bakers Helper or Pam Spray; Or lubricate the parchment paper with a scant bit of oil. Now take one of the little dough balls dust your surface with a bit of flour and roll out to about six or seven inch round circle; take a tablespoon and a half; of the pumpkin mixture and put in the middle of the pastry circle; fold over the pastry; with the tines of the fork press all around the edges of the empanada. With the fork poke twice the top of the pastry so the steam will escape. Sprinkle the top with some sugar and bake 18 to 20 minutes in the oven. After 15 minutes watch them they can burn fast. Do all of your little dough balls like this. Yields about 18/20 empanadas. They are delicious for breakfast, dessert or as a snack. Enjoy.
• Note: I did not use all of my cooked pumpkin on empanadas only. I also made 2 two large pumpkin flans; am posting the recipe and picture next. LOL