Empanandas

Empanadas with an apple filling
Ingredients:






Pastry:
1 cup butter,or 2 sticks
1 package of cream cheese
2-3 cups of flour
3 tablespoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla

Filling:
2 tablespoons butter
4-5 firm green apples (like Granny Smith)
1/2 cup sugar
1-2 teaspoons cinnamon
1/4 cup brown sugar
Pinch of salt (to taste)

For the top of the empanada:
1 egg yolk
Sugar for sprinkling

Preparation:
Make the pastry dough: Add the flour, salt and sugar to the bowl of a food processor and mix thoroughly

Add the butter and the cream cheese, just until mixture starts to come together. Add the vanilla and mix together.

Make the filling:
Peel and core the apples, then cut them into small cubes. Add apples to a saucepan with the butter, sugar, brown sugar, salt, and cinnamon.

Stir apples over medium heat, cooking them until they are just tender.

Remove apples from heat.

Chill apple mixture for at least an hour, stirring occasionally.

(If you don't have time... just mix the cut apples with sugar, brown sugar, salt and cinnamon)

Shape empanadas: Roll out dough (in 2 or 3 batches)on floured surface to about 1/4-1/8 inch thickness. Cut circles of dough about 5-6 inches in diameter.

Wet the edge of a dough circle slightly, all around the perimeter. Place 1 scant tablespoon of filling in the middle of the dough. Fold the circle in half, enclosing the filling, and pinch the edges together firmly to seal, flattening and extending them slightly as you pinch them. Fold and crimp the flattened edge over itself decoratively. (see how to fill and shape empanadas. Repeat with remaining empanadas.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix egg yolk with a little bit of water and brush over empanadas. Sprinkle empanadas with sugar.

Bake empanadas until puffed and golden brown, about 20 minutes.

These are best eaten warm, and can be reheated in a low oven.

Makes about 20-25 empanadas.