Empanadas De Peras (Pear Pastries) |
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Prep Time: 15 Minutes Cook Time: 1 Minutes |
Ready In: 16 Minutes Servings: 16 |
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These empanadas may also be simply made using your favorite flavor of canned pie filling. Ingredients:
3 cups dried pears (1 1/2 pounds) |
4 1/2 cups water |
1/2 cup sugar |
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon |
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves |
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour |
1/4 teaspoon salt |
1/2 cup butter, softened to room temperature |
2 egg yolks |
5 -8 tablespoons ice water |
1 egg yolk, beaten with |
2 tablespoons water |
Directions:
1. Simmer pears in the water for 30-40 minutes until soft; drain, reserving liquid; once pears are cool, purée them in a food processor or blender, stopping food processor occasionally and scraping down its sides and adding enough reserved pear liquid to make a thick purée about the consistency of mashed potatoes.
2. Heat 1/2 cup of reserved pear liquid in saucepan; stir in sugar and cook for about 5 minutes until the sugar begins to caramelize; add pear purée, cinnamon, and cloves; stir well; remove from heat and allow to cool.
3. Meanwhile, whisk together flour and salt in a large bowl; cut in butter (using pastry cutter, two knives, or your fingers) until mixture resembles coarse crumbs; beat egg yolks with 3 tablespoons ice water then add to flour mixture; stir, adding more ice water a tablespoon at a time, until dough comes together and forms a ball; chill dough for 10 minutes.
4. Divide dough into 16 equal-sized balls; on a floured surface, roll each ball into a 3-4 circle; brush edge of each circle with the beaten egg yolk mixture and place 2-3 tablespoons of the filling in the center; fold dough over the filling to form a semi-circle; crimp edges with a fork to seal the empanada; pierce top of each empanada a couple times with fork and brush it with egg yolk mixture; carefully lift empanadas with a spatula and place onto a baking sheet that has been sprayed with no-stick cooking spray; bake at 350° for 30-40 minutes until empanadas are puffy and golden.
5. NOTE: For a simple and quick treat, make these empanadas using your favorite flavor of canned pie filling.
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