Apple Empanadas With Almond Pastry Cream Recipes

APPLE EMPANADAS WITH ALMOND PASTRY CREAM

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
• In a large saute pan, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the apples and saute until slightly softened, about 5 minutes. Add the brown sugar, cinnamon and salt and toss. Continue cooking the apples, stirring occasionally, until the apples break down easily when pressed with a fork, an additional 10 minutes. Remove from the heat and mash them with a fork while they are still warm, it should look like a chunky applesauce. Allow the apples to cool to room temperature. Once cooled, fold 1/4 cup of the Almond Pastry Cream into the cooled apples and set aside.
• On a floured work surface, lay out the puff pastry sheets. Using a large (4 1/2-inch) circular biscuit cutter (or cookie cutter) cut 4 large circles per sheet, 8 all together.
• On the bottom half of each of the rounds, spoon 2 heaping tablespoons of the apple mixture. Brush the edges of each circle with some egg wash. Fold the pastry dough over the filling, seal the edges with your fingers and then crimp them with the tines of a fork. Repeat with remaining pastry dough and filling. When all the pies are assembled, vent each one with 2 small slits, using a paring knife, on the top of each pie. Brush each one with the remaining egg wash and sprinkle with turbinado sugar. Transfer the empanadas to the prepared baking sheet.
• Bake the pies until they have puffed and are golden brown, about 20 minutes. When the pies come out of the oven, spoon more of the Almond Pastry Cream over them and serve.
• Almond Pastry Cream:.
• In a large, heavy-bottomed saucepan, combine the whole milk, sugar, almond paste and salt. Whisk over medium heat and bring to a simmer.
• In a small mixing bowl, combine the egg yolks and cornstarch. Whisk until combined and the mixture is creamy and thick. Remove the milk mixture from the heat and slowly add 1/4 cup of the milk liquid to the eggs, whisking constantly. Add the now-tempered egg mixture back into the saucepan with the rest of the milk and return the milk to a simmer for 3 minutes, whisking constantly, until thickened.
• Remove the saucepan from the heat and stir in the butter, 1 tablespoon at a time, whisking until it is fully incorporated. If desired, strain the pastry cream through a sieve. Pour the mixture into a bowl to cool. Place plastic wrap directly on the surface to prevent a skin from forming. Allow the cream to cool completely in the refrigerator until cold and set, at least 2 hours.

APPLE SAUCE EMPANADAS

Steps:

• Add the flour, sugar and salt to a food processor and pulse to mix. Add the butter and process until the mixture resembles wet sand. Add the cream cheese and pulse until the dough comes together in large clumps. Place the dough on a floured surface and gently knead two or three times, just enough to incorporate the cream cheese. Form the dough into an oval disk, place in a plastic bag and chill, 15 to 30 minutes.
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Roll the dough into a rectangle, about 15-by-10-inches. Cut the dough with a sharp knife into 6 squares, about 5-inches each.
• Beat 1 teaspoon water and the egg in a small bowl, to make an egg wash.
• Fill each dough square with about 2 teaspoons applesauce. Use your fingertips to moisten the dough edges with a little water. Fold the dough over to create a triangle. Use your fingers to press the dough gently together, then crimp the seal with a fork. Brush the tops of the triangles with the egg wash. Sprinkle the egg washed-tops with the cinnamon sugar. Place the triangles on a baking sheet lined with parchment and bake until the triangles are golden brown, about 15 minutes.
• Be careful, the filling will be hot, so cool the empanadas about 15 minutes before eating.

WARM APPLE-ALMOND PASTRY

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
• Thaw pastry sheets at room temperature about 1 hour before using it, or microwave it at 20% power for 3-4 mintues, thawed but still cold for easier handling.
• Grate 3/4 cup of the almonds.
• Make the almond mixture by combing, in a bowl, the grated almonds, sugar, flour, whole egg and the 1 egg yolk, and almond extract. Mix well and set aside.
• Prepare the apples by cutting them in half lengthwise, and removing the stems, and seeds, then slice the apple halves crosswise, to 1/4" thick. Set aside.
• Unfold one pastry sheet onto a baking pan large enough to accomodate the rolled out pastry, (a pizza pan might be best,) spreading out to 10 1/2" square.
• Spreak the almond mixture evenly over the pasty to within 1" of the edge.
• Arrange apple slices, creating them into an overlapping pattern, over the filling.
• Cut remaining pasty sheet into 9 - 1" strips.
• Moisten outer edges of spread dough with water. Arrange five strips diagonally over apples, twisting the strips, then press edges into moisted dough to seal.
• Trim excess.
• Arrange the fmaining dough strips around the edge of pasty, to creat a nice even border.
• Bake for 30 - 35 minutes, pastry should be golden brown. Cool for 10 minutes.
• Spread the warmed jam over the pastry. Brown the remaining almonds in microwave, by cooking them on high for 5 - 7 minutes. Stirr every 30 seconds. Chop the almonds.
• Sprinkle the almonds over the pastry. Then sprinkle with powdered sugar, if you want to. Cut it into squares, then top with ice cream and/or whipped topping. Serve it warm.