Empanadas De Calabasa Sefardicas Sephardic Pumpkin Turnovers Recipes

PUMPKIN TURNOVER

Steps:

• Place the pumpkin in saucepan with the piloncillo, 1/4 cup of water and the cinnamon stick. Bring to a boil and cook for about 15-20 minutes until the pumpkin is tender. Remove the cinnamon stick.
• At this time the piloncillo should had been dissolved, add the ground cinnamon, ground anis and clove. Keep cooking uncovered for about 20 or more minutes, stirring frequently until the mixture takes the texture of a jam. This can be done ahead of time and has to be a room temperature before forming the empanadas.
• To form the dough; Place the yeast in a small bowl add the warm milk and let it proof for about 5 minutes.
• Meanwhile in a large bowl place the Flour, eggs, melted and cool butter, sugar and salt. Add the yeast mixture and mix to form a soft a dough. Knead in a floured surface for about 5 minutes adding more flour if needed.
• Place the dough in an oiled bowl turning to coat with the oil. Cover with plastic and let it rest for about 1 1/2 hour in a warm place.
• After that period of time knead the dough again for 2-3 minutes and divide in 12 small soft balls to start forming the empanadas. Cover with plastic.
• Now to form the empanadas: With the help of your rolling pin roll out each of the dough balls in a slightly floured surface into circles of about 7 inches diameter stretching it if necessary.
• Place about 1/4 cup of filling in center of each; fold dough to enclose filling and form a half moon. Seal edges by crimping with fork.

MEXICAN PUMPKIN EMPANADAS, EMPANADAS DE CALABAZA

Steps:

• 1. Empanada Pastry: In a medium bowl mix together the sugar, warm water, yeast, salt, baking powder, and cinnamon. Stir real well to dissolve real good. In another bowl put 1 cup of the flour and pour your wet ingredients over the flour. With your mixer mix everything real real good. Now add the vegetable shortening and continue to use mixer and incorporate everything real good. Now take the remaing 2 cups flour and little by little in small increments continue to mix into your mixture of shortening and wet ingredients. Mix everything until you have a nice dough. You may have to add a little more warm water but in very small increments and continue to knead until you have a nice dough not real sticky just moist enough to hold together. Shape into a large ball and then cut into four equal pieces. Cover and let rest for 10 minutes. After 10 minutes have passed take each piece and make little balls the size of ping pong balls. Do all of your dough this way and cover with plastic wrap so the dough does not dry out. Let rest while you mix the filling.
• 2. Filling: Take your pumpkin and place into a large bowl, add the sugar, salt, ground ginger, ground cloves, and the ground cinnamon. With a wisk or large spoon mix everything real good. Taste to see if the mixture has the right spice. You may want to add a little more cinnamon, ginger, and cloves in your pumpkin. Now add the two scant tablespoons of heavy cream and continue to mix very well incorporating everyhting real good.
• 3. Pre heat oven to 350 degrees, Line two cookie sheet pans with parchment paper. Spray the parchment paper with a little Bakers Helper or Pam Spray; Or lubricate the parchment paper with a scant bit of oil. Now take one of the little dough balls dust your surface with a bit of flour and roll out to about six or seven inch round circle; take a tablespoon and a half; of the pumpkin mixture and put in the middle of the pastry circle; fold over the pastry; with the tines of the fork press all around the edges of the empanada. With the fork poke twice the top of the pastry so the steam will escape. Sprinkle the top with some sugar and bake 18 to 20 minutes in the oven. After 15 minutes watch them they can burn fast. Do all of your little dough balls like this. Yields about 18/20 empanadas. They are delicious for breakfast, dessert or as a snack. Enjoy.
• 4. Note: I did not use all of my cooked pumpkin on empanadas only. I also made 2 two large pumpkin flans; am posting the recipe and picture next. LOL

MEXICAN PUMPKIN EMPANADAS (EMPANADAS DE CALABAZA)

Steps:

• Place pumpkin in a medium pan and add, piloncillo, cinnamon, and anise star (read note 1).
• Pour in water, cover the pan, and let gently simmer for 20 minutes while mixing one or two times.
• Remove the cinnamon stick and anise star. Add nutmeg and cinnamon powder.
• Using a potato masher, mash roughly the pumpkin.
• Keep cooking uncovered while stirring from time to time until you'll have a thick and dense mixture.
• Set aside and allow to mixture to reach room temperature.
• In a food processor place flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt. Pulse two times to combine.
• Add butter and pulse a few times to form a crumbly mixture.
• Add egg yolk and cream, and pulse again until a clumpy dough forms (read note 2).
• Transfer the dough onto a floured and smooth surface and quickly knead it into a ball.
• Wrap the dough with cling film and place it in the refrigerator for 15 minutes.
• Prepare two cookie sheets with parchment paper or a baking mat.
• Cut two squares about 6×6-inch (15x15cm) from a plastic bag.
• Mix about ½ cup of sugar and 1 ½ tablespoon of ground cinnamon on a deep plate.
• Make an egg wash whisking together the milk and egg in a small bowl.
• Last, preheat the oven to 360°F (180°C).
• Remove the dough from the fridge, divide it into 14 pieces and then flour your hands and roll each piece into a ball.
• Place a dough ball on one of the plastic squares, cover with the other and slightly press with your hand to make a small patty.
• Using a heavy dish, press the dough to form a flat disc (read note 3).
• Peel the top square gently, then add some pumpkin filling in the middle of the disc.
• Fold over to make a half-moon and press the borders to seal well the empanada.
• Gently place the empanada on one hand and peel the last plastic.
• Take the edge and carefully twist it to make the braided edge (read note 4).
• Place the empanada on a baking sheet and repeat the steps with all dough and filling.
• Brush all empanadas de calabaza with the egg wash and make some small holes on the top with a toothpick.
• Bake between 20 and 25 minutes or until the pastries are slightly browned on all sides.
• As soon as empanadas are out of the oven, coat them in the sugar and cinnamon mixture carefully.
• You can now eat them while they're still warm or place them in a cooling rack and store them for later.

EMPANADAS DE CALABASA SEFARDICAS (SEPHARDIC PUMPKIN TURNOVERS)

Steps:

• * NOTE: Can substitute half the amount of unbleached white pastry flour for the whole wheat pastry flour.
• Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
• Lightly oil an aluminum baking sheet or line the baking sheet with parchment paper.
• To make the dough, combine the flour, baking powder, sugar, and salt in a mixing bowl. Make a well in the center of the flour and pour in the oil and water. With your hands, work the mixture to form a soft dough, adding more dough if necessary so that it loses its stickiness.
• Cover dough, set aside and let rest.
• Meanwhile, combine the filling ingredients and mix well.
• Now on a floured surface roll out the prepared dough to 1/16" thickness. Use a 3" round cookie cutter to cut out the dough. (You could also use a tortilla press to form the turnovers.)
• Place one heaping teaspoon of the pumpkin filling on one side of each circle, fold over, slightly dampen edges with water, and pinch edges shut. I use my dim sum maker to seal the turnovers.
• Arrange the turnovers singly on the prepared baking sheet, brush lightly with egg wash and bake about 20 minutes or until golden brown.
• Cool on rack.
• The uncooked, filled turnovers can be frozen.