Pumpkin Empanadas
November 20, 2018 Ashley Munro
Photo: Ashley Munro, RD, CDE
These are my husband’s favorite Mexican fall/holiday dessert. He enjoys one with coffee and my Nana makes the best empanadas! She is also more likely to make them in the fall/winter months. This is my take on her recipe, and I have made it a little easier, in that you don’t have to make the dough. Yep, I used store bought pie crust!
The filling is simple and made with canned pumpkin and has all that pumpkin pie flavor. We have just made it a hand-pie, so you can eat this on-the-go. I am only kind of kidding. But hand-pies, empanadas, are very true to our culture and we have them at all different holidays during the year. They are typical for breakfast, served with coffee or anytime you want a slightly sweet boost to your day.
Ingredients
2 store-bought pie crusts
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
½ cup brown sugar
1 15-ounce can pumpkin puree
2 tablespoons ground flaxseed
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
¼ teaspoon ground ginger
¼ teaspoon ground clove
¼ teaspoon salt
1 egg, lightly beaten
1 teaspoon of water
Instructions<img
1. In a medium sauce pan, heat butter over medium-high heat
until melted.
2. Add sugar and let dissolve in the butter.
3. Add pumpkin, flaxseed, cinnamon, vanilla, ginger, clove and
salt, whisking to combine.
4. Let cook over medium-low heat until the mixture is thickened
slightly and almost pulls away from the side of the pan.
5. Set aside to cool.
6. Prepare two cookie sheets with parchment paper.
7. Roll out pie crusts on a floured surface.
8. Preheat oven to 400°F.
9. Using a knife, cut out 6 inch rounds. (I used the lid of a
storage container and traced around it with a knife).
10. Mix egg and water together for egg wash.
11. Place crust rounds on cookie sheets.
12. Spoon some filling onto one side of each round.
13. Fold over dough and press lightly or pinch/curl to make a
design while sealing (you can also just use a fork).
14. Once they are all sealed, brush lightly with egg wash.
15. Vent each empanada by poking with a fork.
16. Bake for about 20 minutes or until crust is golden brown.
17. Serve and enjoy.
