Empanadas De Calabasa Recipes

EMPANADAS DE CALABASA

Steps:

• For the dough: Put the oil, water and salt in a pot and bring to a boil. Allow it cool and when warm to the touch, add all of the flour and mix thoroughly. Take small walnut or golf ball size pieces form the dough and roll them out into flat rounds on some parchment paper. If you don't have a rolling pin you can use a can or a sturdy glass. For the filling: The filling is made with either fresh pumpkin or canned pumpkin puree. This time of year it may be difficult, if not impossible to get fresh pumpkins. However, Libby's canned pumpkin puree is kosher. If you have a fresh pumpkin, simply cut it into fourths, scoop out all the seeds, (they can be roasted later for a healthy snack) and place in a 375-degree oven on a slightly oiled cookie sheet for about a half an hour until the 'meat' of the pumpkin is soft. Then let cool and when you can handle the pumpkin scrap out all of the 'meat' into a pot and use the rind for compost. Once you have either the fresh pumpkin or are using 2 fifteen-ounce cans of pumpkin puree get them into a pot. Add all of the filling ingredients except the 'milk' to the pumpkin puree. Slowly add the milk until the mixture is creamy and let them mingle together over low to medium low heat until blended. You can feel free to adjust measurements to your taste. If you want to kick it up a bit you can add a shake of ginger or cardamom, or both if you're daring. Now just add a dollop or so of the filling to one side of the dough rounds. Then fold over the other half of the dough to make a "half-round" with the filling in the middle. Seal the overlapping edges with a pastry wheel or the tines of a fork. Lightly brush the tops with a beaten egg and then bake on either a lightly greased cookie sheet or on parchment paper (my preferred method) on a cookie sheet in a 375-degree oven until golden, about 30-45 minutes. But keep a close eye on them; you do not want these to burn. They can be served warm or cold. The leftovers make a great snack and a great mini-dessert. They're also great in the morning with a cup of coffee.

PUMPKIN TURNOVER

Steps:

• Place the pumpkin in saucepan with the piloncillo, 1/4 cup of water and the cinnamon stick. Bring to a boil and cook for about 15-20 minutes until the pumpkin is tender. Remove the cinnamon stick.
• At this time the piloncillo should had been dissolved, add the ground cinnamon, ground anis and clove. Keep cooking uncovered for about 20 or more minutes, stirring frequently until the mixture takes the texture of a jam. This can be done ahead of time and has to be a room temperature before forming the empanadas.
• To form the dough; Place the yeast in a small bowl add the warm milk and let it proof for about 5 minutes.
• Meanwhile in a large bowl place the Flour, eggs, melted and cool butter, sugar and salt. Add the yeast mixture and mix to form a soft a dough. Knead in a floured surface for about 5 minutes adding more flour if needed.
• Place the dough in an oiled bowl turning to coat with the oil. Cover with plastic and let it rest for about 1 1/2 hour in a warm place.
• After that period of time knead the dough again for 2-3 minutes and divide in 12 small soft balls to start forming the empanadas. Cover with plastic.
• Now to form the empanadas: With the help of your rolling pin roll out each of the dough balls in a slightly floured surface into circles of about 7 inches diameter stretching it if necessary.
• Place about 1/4 cup of filling in center of each; fold dough to enclose filling and form a half moon. Seal edges by crimping with fork.

CINNAMON-PUMPKIN EMPANADAS ( EMPANADAS DE CALABAZAS)

Steps:

• For the filling: Mix ingredients together and set aside.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
• Combine water, sugar, salt, yeast, baking powder, and cinnamon.
• Using an electric mixer, gradually blend in half of the flour.
• Add shortening and thoroughly mix, then gradually blend in remaining flour.
• Divide dough into 4 equal parts, then shape each of those parts into 4 dough balls.
• Slap the dough balls between the palms of your well-floured hands until somewhat flattened, then roll out on a floured surface into circles approximately 4 inches in diameter and 1/8-inch thick.
• Put about 1 1/2 tablespoons of pumpkin filling in the center of each circle, fold over, and seal edges by moistening slightly and pressing lightly with a fork on both sides.
• Bake on a greased cookie sheet until golden brown, 18 to 20 minutes (watch carefully as they can burn quickly).

EMPANADAS DE CALABASA SEFARDICAS (SEPHARDIC PUMPKIN TURNOVERS)

Steps:

• * NOTE: Can substitute half the amount of unbleached white pastry flour for the whole wheat pastry flour.
• Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
• Lightly oil an aluminum baking sheet or line the baking sheet with parchment paper.
• To make the dough, combine the flour, baking powder, sugar, and salt in a mixing bowl. Make a well in the center of the flour and pour in the oil and water. With your hands, work the mixture to form a soft dough, adding more dough if necessary so that it loses its stickiness.
• Cover dough, set aside and let rest.
• Meanwhile, combine the filling ingredients and mix well.
• Now on a floured surface roll out the prepared dough to 1/16" thickness. Use a 3" round cookie cutter to cut out the dough. (You could also use a tortilla press to form the turnovers.)
• Place one heaping teaspoon of the pumpkin filling on one side of each circle, fold over, slightly dampen edges with water, and pinch edges shut. I use my dim sum maker to seal the turnovers.
• Arrange the turnovers singly on the prepared baking sheet, brush lightly with egg wash and bake about 20 minutes or until golden brown.
• Cool on rack.
• The uncooked, filled turnovers can be frozen.