Fruity Empanadas
Serve these hot out of the fryer with a scoop of ice cream rolled over it, then crush the center of the empanada open, right in its swollen center, the fruit will ooze out together with the sauce and some of the ice cream will melt right in with the sauce.
These can be made with almost any type of fruit and are superb. Note: For best results use an empanada sealer.
Ingredients:
DOUGH:
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 3 tablespoons sugar
- 3/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 stick Mehadrin butter
- 1 extra large egg, beaten
- 1/2 cup Mehadrin sour cream
- 1/2 cup water
TOPPING:
- Mehadrin Vanilla Ice Cream
FILLING:
- 1 lb. apples, peaches, plums or apricots –
- diced ( here we used nectarines)
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon cornstarch
Vegetable oil, for frying
Instructions
Dough: combine flour, sugar, salt, and butter in a food processor or mixer and pulse for 10-15 minutes, until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Add the beaten egg, stirringgently with a fork. Then add the sour cream and water, until it all comes together. Form the dough into a ball and wrap in plastic wrap, refrigerate for at least 1 hour.
Filling: combine the diced fruit, sugar, salt, lemon juice and cornstarch in a medium saucepan and cook over medium heat, stirring until the mixture thickens slightly. Remove from the heat and allow to cool.
Empanadas: on a floured surface, roll the dough into a large rectangle about a 1/8 inch thick. Use a 4 or 5-inch biscuit cutter to cut 10-12 circles. Loosely gather any leftover scraps, knead lightly until the dough comes back together, and make additional circles. Repeat as needed.
Place about 2 tablespoons of fruit filling into the center of each circle of dough. Fold the dough in half and crimp the edges to seal.
Heat (about a 1/2 inch of oil) the oil to 365 F in a large deep saucepan Working in batches, fry the empanadas, turning once, for a minute or two per side, until the dough is golden brown. Drain on a paper towel and transfer to a plate in a warm oven while you cook the rest. Serve warm.
