Brazilian Pie Recipes

BRAZILIAN CHICKEN POT PIE (EMPADãO DE FRANGO)

Steps:

• In a large sauté pan, over medium heat, add the olive oil and, once hot, sauté the onions and garlic until translucent, about 2 minutes.
• Add the tomatoes and cook them with the onions and garlic for a couple of minutes, until softened.
• Add the shredded chicken,olives, corn (if using), peas (if using), hearts of palm (if using), tomato sauce, hot sauce and stir to combine. Then, add the chicken broth and the flour dissolved in milk. Lower the heat to medium low and cook, stirring often, until most of the liquid is gone and the filling is creamy and lightly thickened, about 10 minutes.
• Add the chopped parsley and stir to incorporate.
• Taste for seasoning and season with salt and pepper to taste.
• Cool completely before assembling the pie.
• Combine the flour and the salt in a large bowl.
• Add the egg yolks and stir using a wooden spoon.
• Then add the butter and use your fingers to work the butter into the flour, until the mixture resembles coarse sand. Add the water, a few tablespoons of a time, and continue working with your fingers until the dough comes together. You might not need all the water!
• Wrap the dough and chill for 20 minutes.
• Preheat oven to 350F degrees.
• When the dough is chill, cut 1/3 of the dough and reserve. Roll out the remaining dough to about 12" round. Place the pastry in a 9-inch spring form pan, making sure the dough also covers the sides (since we have lots of filling!), and prick it all over with a fork.
• Add the cold filling, smoothing it out so its evenly distributed.
• Then, roll out the remaining dough and place it on top of the filling, sealing the pie and tucking the edges.
• Using a knife, make two cuts in the center of the top crust, so that steam can escape while baking.
• Brush the pie with the lightly beaten egg yolk.
• Bake in the preheated oven for 25 to 35 minutes or until golden brown and the filling piping hot.
• Remove from oven and allow to cool slightly before serving.

BRAZILIAN WHOLE BANANA PIE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
• Sprinkle 3 tablespoons of brown sugar over the bottom of a small saucepan or skillet. Cook over medium heat until melted. Stir in water until sugar is completely dissolved. Heat to between 234 and 240 degrees F (112 to 116 degrees C), or until a small amount of syrup dropped into cold water forms a soft ball that flattens when removed from the water and placed on a flat surface. Pour the syrup into a round baking dish or deep dish pie plate and spread to coat the bottom.
• Make a layer of bananas on top of the melted sugar. In a medium bowl, stir together the whole wheat flour, wheat germ, oats and 1 cup of brown sugar. Mix in the margarine using your hands, pinching it into small pieces to make a crumbly dough. Sprinkle half of this over the bananas in the dish and pat down. Top with the remaining bananas and sprinkle with about half of the cinnamon. Spread the rest of the dough over the bananas and pat the pie smooth. Sprinkle remaining cinnamon over the top.
• Bake for 45 minutes in the preheated oven, until the pie topping is toasted and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.

BRAZILIAN PIE

Steps:

• In a saucepan, combine pudding, coffee, cocoa, and milk.
• Cook over medium heat, stirring frequently, until mixture comes to a full boil.
• Remove from heat and continue to stir frequently until cool.
• Place plastic wrap directly onto pudding and chill in refrigerator for 1 hours.
• Beat slightly.
• Fold in whipping cream which has been beaten until stiff.
• Pour into pie shell.
• Garnish with sliced almonds.
• Refrigerate until ready to use.

EMPADINHAS (BRAZILIAN SHRIMP PIES)

Steps:

• Make the dough.
• Place the flour in a large mixing bowl and make a well in the center.
• Place the butter, shortening, eggs, salt, and 1 cup water in the well.
• Using one hand to mix, squeeze these ingredients through your fingers to make a paste.
• Gradually work in the flour, squeezing the dough between your fingers to mix it.
• Add water as necessary: the dough should be quite soft.
• Let the dough rest for 30 minutes.
• Prepare the filling.
• Peel and devein the shrimp (my favorite yucky part...).
• Heat the oil in a large saucepan.
• Sauté the onion and garlic over medium heat for 2-3 minutes, or until soft but not brown.
• Add the shrimp, bay leaf, tomato paste, salt, and pepper, plus water to cover.
• Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer for 10 minutes, or until the shrimp is cooked.
• Strain the shrimp, reserving the broth.
• Finely chop the shrimp by hand or in the food processor.
• Stir in the flour, peas, and olives.
• Stir in 3-4 tablespoons of the reserved broth: the filling should be moist but not runny.
• Add enough cayenne to give the shrimp mixture a little bite.
• Pinch off cherry-sized pieces of dough and use them to line the tartlet molds.
• Push the dough in with your thumb.
• The dough should just reach over the top of the mold.
• Place a spoonful of filling in each crust.
• Roll out the remaining dough and cut out tops for the empadinhas.
• Try to capture an air bubble when you place the top over the filling: this is what makes the pie light.
• Seal the tartlets by pinching together the top and bottom crust.
• Note: the empadinhas can be prepared ahead to this stage and frozen.
• Preheat the oven to 375° F.
• Brush the tops of the empadinhas with egg glaze.
• Bake for 30 minutes, or until golden brown.
• Unmold and serve.
• If you're lazy like me, try this big pie version, called empadão: make the filling and use Pillsbury pie crusts, one for the bottom and one for the top.
• Fantastic dinner stuff!
• To make chicken empadinhas-------------.
• Cook the chicken and prepare the broth.
• Place the chicken in a small saucepan with the garlic, onion, bay leaf and water to cover.
• Bring to a boil, reduce the heat, and gently simmer for 20 minutes, or until the chicken is tender.
• Drain the chicken, reserving the broth.
• When the chicken is cool enough to handle, remove the skin and bones and finely shred the meat.
• Discard the onion, garlic, and bay leaf.
• Heat the oil in a large saucepan.
• Sauté the onion and garlic over medium heat for 2-3 minutes, or until soft but not brown.
• Add the chicken, bay leaf, tomato paste, salt, and pepper, plus water to cover.
• Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer for 5 minutes.
• Procede as in step 3 above, stirring in the flour, peas, and olives.
• And so on.