Pumpkin empanadas
These are a delicious combination of soft pumpkin filling wrapped in a tasty pastry.
Servings: 12 -15 small
Calories: 126kcal
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Ingredients
For pastry
- 1 cup all purpose flour plain flour
- ½ cup whole wheat pastry flour or additional all purpose/plain
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 tablespoon brown sugar
- 4 tablespoon unsalted butter cut into chunks
- ¼ cup milk cold (can use water)
- 1 egg note hold some egg white back to glaze
For filling
- 1 cup pumpkin puree
- ¼ cup brown sugar packed
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon nutmeg
- ⅛ teaspoon allspice
Instructions
For pastry
- Put the flours, baking powder and the salt in a food processor and pulse to mix. Remove around 1 ½ - 2 tablespoon of the egg white and set aside, then add the rest along with the butter and milk. Pulse to mix and bring the mixture together in coarse crumbs.
- Remove the dough from the food processor, press together and wrap then refrigerate for around 30 minutes, or more if it suit your timing better.
For filling
- Place the pumpkin puree, sugar and spices in a small saucepan then place over a medium heat. Warm, stirring now and then to mix and dissolve the sugar and bring to a simmer. Simmer for around 5 - 10 minutes until the mixture thickens up and becomes quite jam or fruit butter-like. Set aside to cool.
Making the empanadas
- Preheat oven to 400F/200C. Prepare a baking sheet/tray with either a silicone baking mat or parchment paper.
- Roll out the dough on a floured surface until about as thin as you are comfortable with (around ⅛in/2-3mm) and cut out circles - I used my largest scone/pastry cutter which is about 2 ¾in diameter.
- Put a heaped spoonful of the pumpkin mixture slightly to one side of each pastry circle, but away from the edges. They should look as if they'll be fairly full but with enough space to fold one side over then seal the edges.
- Carefully pull together the sides of the pastry and press the two edges together. This is easiest by folding over the side without the filling then pressing down the edge, taking care not to press out the filling or have an air bubble. Press together with the tip of a fork to seal. Alternatively, crimp the edges by folding over the edge, in towards the filling, and pressing with your thumb, then folding in the next edge again and again to form the braid-like edge.
- Place the formed empanadas on top of the prepared baking sheet, with a little space between them. Gently prick the top of each to allow steam to escape. Brush the pastry with the reserved egg white (and add coarse sugar, if you like).
- Bake for approx 20 minutes until the empanadas are starting to brown.
Video
Notes
You can also use other sweeter squashes instead of pumpkin, such as butternut.
If you like, you can add in a few mini chocolate chips to the filling mixture, after it has cooled (not traditional, but tasty!)
Nutrition
Calories: 126kcal | Carbohydrates: 19g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 5g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Trans Fat: 0.2g | Cholesterol: 24mg | Sodium: 59mg | Potassium: 127mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 6g | Vitamin A: 3323IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 39mg | Iron: 1mg