I thought we could kick things off with a simple but delicious empanada recipe. For those of you who don't have any idea of what an empanada is, well let me give you a brief insight. Basically it is a stuffed pastry dough, it has the unique demi-lune (half moon) shape and is served all around Latin America. In my country these empanadas are filled up with absolutely anything you can think of (yes even eggs for breakfast), and these empanada carts are found all around the city of Santo Domingo.
These empanadas are different, they are not savory or fried, but they make for a good snack or dessert. I specially enjoy them because they give me a felixibility for dessert tables in restaurants (they are low cost too), just take left over fruits and make a jam fill these puppies up and pop em' in the oven.
Pastry Dough
- 15 g salt
- 25 g white sugar
- 200 g butter (don't be afraid of BUTTER!)
- 300 g all purpose flour
- Optional Confectioners Sugar
I like working this dough with a machine, but if you are the adventurous type you can use your hands. Always, always! Sift your flour for dessert recipes, the reason is that this is a way to avoid those pesky ball formations, it is also a fast way of incorporating other dry ingredients together and mixing them.
Make sure your butter is not a block of cold matter, you want a pomade and smooth workable rub. add your flour maybe 100 grams at a time and work it, you will see how the oily product starts adhering to the dry products.
When you have a less than sticky put together dough you are ready! Don't be alarmed we have to chill it and give it a good rest in the fridge. Make it into a compact pile and wrap it in some film paper.
Why must we rest our dough? Simple as trying to avoid the butter from melting completly leaving us with a saggy gooey mess. I'd leave it for a duration of 2 hrs if I want to work with it that day. Of course in rush hour moments i'd be able to work the dough in 30 mins, it will all depend on your fridge the amount of humidity outside that day, etc.
Apple Jam
- 230 g Green Apple Trimmings
- 80 ml Maple Syrup
- 30 g Cinammon
- The Juice of 1 Lime
I need to underline the fact that you can use any jam your little heart desires. At a restaurant I will make an assortment of these little rascals with berries, and even watermelon jam, but my favorites will always be #1 plum empanadas, and #2 this rich apple goodness.
Get a pan ready, start giving those apple pieces a little bit of color (yes burning them), and let the water leave the apple, when you get a golden color put in your mapple syrup. When it starts bubbling you insert the lime juice. Be carefull when you decide to put in half of the cinnamon, because with heat cinnamon tends to pop and burn.
Leave everything to chill.
Take out your dough, and here is where the confectioners sugar comes at play. I like using it to serve as a barrier between my work table and the dough. But if you think it will be too sugary for you, feel free to use regular flour. Take your rolling pin and extend your dough, not too thin but enough. Take a 4 to 5 inch circular cookie cutter and start cutting the pieces, take a spoon and deposite some filling, half a table spoon is enough. Remember these bad boys will go back to the oven, you don't want the syrup leaking out. Give the dough with a filling the 'half moon' shape by closing it. And use a fork to press it shut in the corners. Get a non stick pan, and BAKE, BAKE, BAKE!
20 mins
pre heated 300 F
Decorate with sugar and cinnamon. "Bon Ap!"
No comments:
Post a Comment