A correction is needed it the Directions. 1/4 tsp baking powder needs o the dry ingredients. I almost missed putting that in! These turned out great. I used one large can of pumpkin, instead of 4 cups. just like an other reveiwer had mentioned. Everything else I kept the same, but next time I am going to try the cinnamon in the pastry dough!
I've wanted to try making empanadas for a long time but my grandmother passed away before I was interested in learning how to make them. This recipe was easy & came out great! I added cinnamon to the dough because I remembered grandma doing that and used one large can of pumpkin instead of 4 cups. Great reviews from everybody who's eaten them!
There's a reason there's a dough recipe here people; it's not just a pie crust. The dough is much more spongy and sweet than pie crust, so no wonder those who use premade crusts are returning less-than-stellar reviews. This is a great recipe, and tastes almost exactly like my mom's empanadas. I used butter instead of shortening, and cut it down to about 3/4 cup because the dough felt right to me then. Also cut my empanadas a little smaller and ended up with some extra filling, but that's okay with me as it gives me an excuse to make more empanadas. :-)
I added some ground cinnamon to the flour mixture like a couple of other reviewers, 5 tsp. of it. I used butter instead of shortening and I used 4 cups of sweet potato that I wanted to use up, instead of pumpkin. Sweet potato and pumpkin taste the same to me anyway. Don't forget the 1/4 tsp of baking powder which is omitted in the directions. When the empanadas first came out of the oven the taste of ginger was over powering, but by the next day the flavors had melded and the flavors were just right.
This recipe is a good base to start from, but I reccomend several changes. First, it is much easier to use pre-made dough or a pie crust. Second, try mixing more cinnamon and some nutmeg into the filling mixture. I also added sweetened cream cheese into the filling, and after they were done baking I made a thin carmel icing that I dipped them into after they cooled. It hardened on the outside and took the "boredom" out of the crust.
The dough recipe is perfect, I've had trouble with it before with different recipes in the past. I would also like to remind people to add the baking powder just as others have mentioned in their reviews. I also added a couple teaspoons of cinnamon to the dough. After putting the egg wash on the empanadas, I sprinkled them with cinnamon sugar.
Delicious! Since moving from CA to the midwest we miss our local mexican bakery and have been trying to find a recipe that is similiar to the pumpkin empanadas we would order by the dozen. This is the first recipe that comes close. Love them!
Used pre-made refrigerated pie crust. Dusted with powdered sugar.
Basic but delicious recipe. I decided to add some ground cinnamon into the dough for a bit more color/flavor and they came out great my friends and family ate them all within 2 days.
