Cherry Empanadas Recipes

CHERRY ENCHILADAS

Steps:

• Grease a 9x13 inch baking dish. Combine the water, butter and 1/2 cup of sugar in a small saucepan and bring to a boil. Place a few spoonfuls of cherry pie filling just slightly off center of each tortilla. Roll up and place seam side down in the baking dish. Pour the hot liquid over the 'enchiladas' making sure to coat the tops completely. The mixture will be watery. Cover and refrigerate overnight.
• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Combine 2 tablespoons sugar, cinnamon and almonds in a small bowl or cup; sprinkle over the top of the enchiladas.
• Bake for 35 to 40 minutes in the preheated oven, or until outside edges of the tortillas are golden brown. Let cool slightly before serving.

CHERRY EMPANADAS (CHERRY HAND PIES)

Steps:

• Drain cherry filling and discard the majority of the syrup and slice cherries in half.
• Mix the first 5 dry ingredients. Cut in the shortening. It is best to use your hands. In a separate bowl whisk the eggs and milk and combine with dry ingredients. Continue to work in with your hands until you have a soft dough. Split the dough in half, wrap in plastic wrap, and refrigerate for about 20 to 30 minutes.
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• Take out half the dough and split it into 12 equal balls of dough.
• On a floured surface, roll out the dough balls into small round circles. Place a small dollop of cherry pie filling on one half of each of the dough circles. Brush the bottom edge of the circles with evaporated milk to help seal the two halves. Fold over the dough to cover filling and seal off the edges with a fork by pressing down along the edges. This also makes for a pretty pattern when baked.
• Repeat with remaining dough and filling.
• Brush each empanada with some canned evaporated milk, sprinkle with raw sugar. Puncture the top of each empanada with a fork to allow steam to escape while baking.
• Spray a large cookie sheet with cooking spray, place the empanadas on the cookie sheet and bake for 20 minutes on middle rack in the oven.
• Brush empanadas again with more canned evaporated milk.
• Move the cookie sheet to the top rack and continue to bake for an additional 3 to 5 minutes, until golden brown.
• Enjoy the empanadas warm or at room temperature. Refrigerate baked empanadas for a few days.
• Reheat in a toaster oven or bake at 350 degrees for 8 minutes.

CHERRY EMPANADAS

Steps:

• In a shallow dish, mix together the cinnamon and sugar. Set aside.
• Lay the tortillas out on a work surface. Put about 1/4 cup of filling down the center of each tortilla. Fold the ends in, then roll up like a burrito. Make sure they are rolled tightly. Lay seam side down on a baking sheet. (At this point, you can refrigerate them. It makes them a little easier to fry, but it's not required.)
• Heat about 3/4″ of oil to 350F in a heavy duty skillet or Dutch oven. Once hot, add the empanadas, 2 or 3 at a time, to the oil. Cook until browned on one side, then turn to brown the other side. When browned, immediately roll in the cinnamon sugar mixture, then place on a clean plate. Continue until all empanadas are cooked.
• Serve with sweetened whipped cream.

AIR-FRYER EMPANADAS

Steps:

• In a large skillet, heat oil over medium heat. Add onion; cook and stir until softened, 4-5 minutes. Reduce heat to medium-low; cook, stirring occasionally, until deep golden brown, 30-40 minutes. Remove from heat. Let cool slightly. Gently stir in goat cheese and tomatoes., Preheat air fryer to 375°. On a lightly floured surface, roll dough to 1/4-in. thickness. Cut with a floured 3-in. round biscuit cutter. Place 1 heaping teaspoon filling on 1 side of each circle. Brush edges of pastry with water; fold circles in half. With a fork, press edges to seal., In batches, arrange empanadas in a single layer on greased tray in air-fryer basket; spritz with cooking spray. Cook until golden brown, 4-5 minutes. Turn; spritz with cooking spray. Cook until golden brown, 4-5 minutes longer.

HOW TO MAKE SWEET EMPANADA DOUGH

Steps:

• Mix the flour, sugar and salt in a food processor.
• Add the butter, eggs and water until a clumpy dough forms.
• Knead the dough for a few minutes.
• Form dough into 2 balls, flatten into thick discs, and chill in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes.
• Roll out the dough into a thin sheet and cut out round disc shapes for empanadas, use round molds or a small plate or cup as a mold, you can choose how large based on whether you want small or medium sized empanadas .
• Use the empanada discs immediately or store in the refrigerator or freezer to use later.
• To assemble these sweet empanadas or dessert turnovers, place the filling of your choice on the center of each empanada disc. Don't add too much filling since it makes it harder to close or seal the empanadas when they're overstuffed.
• To seal the empanadas, fold the disc and seal the edges by pressing the dough with your fingers. If needed, you can brush the inside edges with egg white, it will act as a glue for the empanadas. You can do a final seal by pressing the top of a fork against the edges. You can also try a curl type seal, called repulgue or churito, by using your fingers to twist the curl the edges - this is harder with sweet empanadas than with regular savory empanada dough.
• For best results, refrigerate the empanadas for at least 30 minutes before baking - this also helps them seal better and prevents the filling from leaking out.
• If you want your empanadas to have a nice golden finish, then you can brush them with egg wash (a whole egg whisked or egg yolk plus a few drops of water whisked). After brushing the empanadas with egg wash, you can sprinkle sugar (I prefer brown sugar or demerara) on top. You can also sprinkle them with regular or powdered sugar after baking.
• Bake the empanadas in a pre-heated oven. I usually bake them at 375F/190C. The baking time will vary based on the oven and size of empanadas, and should be in the range of 18-25 minutes - the empanadas will be ready once they are golden on top.