PINEAPPLE EMPANADAS

PINEAPPLE EMPANADAS image

Yield 15-30 empanadas

Number Of Ingredients 12

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For the dough:
6 oz of cream cheese, at room temp
1 cup of unsalted butter, at room temp
2 cups of unbleached all purpose flour
1/2 tsp of salt
For the Filling:
1 can of crushed pineapple (in own juice)
1 tbsp of cornstarch
2-3 tbsp of sugar (depending on taste)
1/2 cup of chopped pecans
1/2 cup of shredded coconut
1/4 cup of raisins (that have been soaked in rum and simple syrup for 24 hrs or long enough for the raisins to become plump and juicy)

Steps:

For the Dough: -In a bowl, mix together cream cheese and butter until well blended. -Add the flour and salt, mix well. -Put dough on a lightly floured surface and knead for one minute, shape into a ball. -Wrap in plastic, refrigerate for 15 min. For the filling: -In a saucepan (over medium heat,) combine pineapple and cornstarch, stir until the cornstarch is dissolved. -Add sugar, bring the mixture to a boil. (keep stirring) -Lower the heat to low, simmer and stir occasionally until the mixture gets thick. -Stir in pecans, coconuts, and raisins. To shape the Empanadas: -On a lightly floured surface roll out the dough. (Rolling the dough out a little thicker will make shaping the empanadas easier.) -Cut out circles of dough. (The size of the dough circle you cut out depends on the size and number of empanadas you want.) -Stretch out the circle of dough and put in a small spoonful of the filling on one half of the dough. -Fold over the half that doesn't have filling on it until the edges of the circle meet. -Take a fork and press down the edges all the way around. (This will make a half moon shape.) -Brush the top of the empanadas with a beaten egg, then sprinkle some cinnamon sugar on top. -Bake in the oven at 375 (Fahrenheit) for around 15 min or until the crust becomes golden.