New Mexico Prune Pastelitos Recipes

NEW MEXICO FRUIT EMPANADAS

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.
• For the dough: Mix the flour oil, baking powder, cinnamon, sugar. Add just enough water to make the dough silky. Roll the dough out 1/8-inch thick and cut with a 4-inch cookie cutter.
• For the fruit: Mash the fruit with the sugar, cinnamon, cloves and nutmeg. Spoon 2 tablespoons of fruit on one half of a circle of dough, then fold it over to look like a half-moon. Pinch the edges with a fork to seal.
• Bake until brown, about 15 minutes, then sprinkle with cinnamon sugar.

DRIED FRUIT PASTELITOS

Steps:

• To make the filling, combine the dried fruit and 1 1/2 cups water in a pot over medium-low heat and simmer until fruit is almost mushy, 20 to 30 minutes. Add a little water if needed. Drain the liquid. Working in batches if necessary, put fruit and orange juice in a blender and purée until smooth. Return to the pot, add 1/2 cup sugar, 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon and cloves or nutmeg, and simmer over medium-low heat until thick and jammy.
• To make the crust, heat oven to 400 degrees. In a mixing bowl, combine the flour, baking powder and salt. Using your fingertips, rub in the shortening or lard. Make a well in the center and add 4 to 6 tablespoons water, a small amount at a time, and work it into a dough.
• Divide dough in half and roll each half on a lightly floured board to fit a shallow square or rectangular baking pan, about 9 by 12 inches. Line the pan with one sheet of pastry. Spread the fruit mixture evenly over the pastry, leaving a half-inch border. Place second sheet of pastry over the fruit mixture. Cut the pastry edges to just fit inside the rim of the pan. Press the edges of pastry together to seal around the edges. Brush top with milk. Mix 1 1/2 teaspoons sugar and 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon and sprinkle over the pastry. Poke holes in pastry with a fork. Bake 30 minutes, until golden brown. Cool and cut into square.

NEW MEXICO EMPANADAS

Steps:

• 1. Pastry Directions: Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Using a fork, combine the butter and cream cheese. Sift flour over this mixture. Add baking powder, vinegar and water or milk and combine with fork. With generously floured hands, work the dough until you have a smooth resilient ball. 3 to 4 minutes, but keep working the flour into the other ingredients until the dough suddenly holds together. Flour both the table and your rolling pin. Roll out dough and cut out circles. Oil cookie sheets and place circles or sheets, add 1 heaping teaspoon of filling and carefully fold over and crimp with fork and moistening the edge with egg glaze. Bake in preheated oven for 10 to 15 minutes or until golden brown. Filling Directions: Boil pork. When thoroughly cooked, put in food processor until meat is shredded. Add Raisins, applesauce, sugar, nuts and spices. Mix well and proceed with direction in Empanada Pastry recipe.

PASTELITOS -- LITTLE FRUIT PIES (SOUTHWEST)

Steps:

• FOR THE FILLING: In a saucepan, put apricots in cold water & simmer gently until fruit is soft, about 30 minutes, then drain.
• In a food processor or blender, puree the apricots, then return the puree to the saucepan, add the brown sugar & cook until puree is very thick, about 8-10 minutes.
• Remove puree from heat, then add raisins & nuts, & set aside to cool.
• FOR THE DOUGH: While the puree is cooling, in a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder & salt, then cut in the butter & shortening until pea-size pieces form.
• Add just enough ice water, 1 tablespoon at a time, to make the flour stick together, then shape into a flattened ball, wrap in plastic & refrigerate for 30 minutes.
• When the dough is ready, preheat the oven to 400 degrees F, then cut the flattened ball in half & roll one of the halves out on a GREASED baking sheet.
• Spread the fruit mixture on top, ALMOST to the edge.
• Roll out the second half of the dough large enough to cover the fruit mixture, then place it on top, before pressing the edges together all around to seal.
• In a small container, whisk together the 1/3 cup of sugar & 1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon, then sprinkle that on top of the prepared pastry. Finally, with the blunt edge of a table knife, mark the pastry into small squares & prick each square with a fork ~ There should be about 30 small squares marked off.
• Bake about 20 minutes, or until pastry is lightly browned, then cool & cut into the marked squares.