Pear And Cheese Empanadas Food

SOUTHWEST EMPANADAS

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.
• In a large bowl, mix together the beans, cheese and chicken. Working in batches, lay out the empanada wrappers on a clean work surface. Place a heaping tablespoon of the bean filling into the center of each wrapper. Fold the dough over the filling to form a half-moon shape and press the edge to seal. Using a fork, crimp the edge to completely seal. Transfer the empanadas to the prepared baking sheets.
• In a small bowl, whisk the egg with 2 tablespoons water. Brush the empanadas with the egg wash. Bake until golden brown, 15 to 20 minutes.

PEAR EMPANADAS

Steps:

• In a covered pot, simmer the pears in the water for 30 to 40 minutes, until soft. Drain and reserve the liquid. When pears are cool, place them in a blender with just enough reserved liquid to make a thick puree. Heat 1/2 cup of the leftover pear liquid in a saucepan. Stir in 1/2 cup of the sugar and cook for about 5 minutes, until the sugar begins to caramelize. Add the pear puree, 1/2 teaspoon of the cinnamon and cloves, stirring well. Remove from heat and cool. In a small bowl, combine remaining 1/4 cup sugar and 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon. Set mixture aside.
• Prepare dough: In a large bowl, combine the flour with the lard, butter and salt. Mix lightly with your fingertips until the dough forms grapesized pieces. You should still be able to see chunks of fat. Stir in the iced water. Lightly knead, handling dough as little as possible, until the dough forms a ball. Add a little more iced water if necessary. Transfer to a plastic bag and shape into a log. Seal the bag, pressing out any air, and chill 1 hour or as long as 3 days. The dough can be frozen for as long as a week. On a lightly floured board, roll out dough to 1/8inch thickness and cut 4inch circles. Brush the edge of each circle with the beaten egg mixture and place 2 tablespoons of the filling in the center. Fold dough over to enclose filling. Seal the edges by pressing the top to bottom with the tines of a fork. Chill for at least 30 minutes before baking. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Place empanadas on a baking sheet and brush the tops with the egg wash. Sprinkle with cinnamon sugar. With a sharp knife, cut three small slits in the top of each for steam to escape. Bake for 30 minutes, or until dough is golden. Transfer to a cooling rack to cool slightly and serve warm with crema or blue cheese.
• Whisk the cream and buttermilk together. Cover and set in a warm place (a gas oven with just the heat from the pilot is fine) for 8 hours. Crema may be kept in the refrigerator as long as a week
• Yield: 2 cups

CHEESESTEAK EMPANADAS

Steps:

• Position 2 racks in the middle of the oven and preheat to 425 degrees F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment.
• Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. When it starts to shimmer, add the beef, a pinch of salt and a few grinds of pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until lightly browned on the edges and just cooked through, 2 to 3 minutes. Transfer the beef to a medium bowl and set aside. Add the garlic, onion and bell pepper to the skillet and cook, stirring constantly, until crisp-tender, about 2 minutes.
• Add the vegetables to the bowl with the beef and toss to combine. Allow to cool slightly. Fold in the provolone cubes. Lightly beat the egg with 1 tablespoon water in a small bowl and set aside.
• Unfold 1 puff pastry sheet onto a lightly floured surface. Roll out into a 12-inch square. Cut out 9 rounds with a 4-inch round cookie cutter. Spoon about 1 tablespoon of the meat filling just off center on each round. Brush the edge of each round with the egg wash and fold the puff pastry over the filling, slightly stretching if necessary. Press the edges together and crimp with a fork to seal.
• Transfer the empanadas one of the prepared baking sheets and brush each with more egg wash. Repeat this process with the remaining pastry sheet, filling and egg wash. Bake until puffed and golden brown, about 15 minutes.
• Meanwhile, combine the cheese sauce, pepperoncini and juice in a microwave-safe bowl. Microwave on high for 30 seconds and then stir. Repeat until hot.
• Serve the empanadas with the cheese sauce for dipping.

SPINACH AND CHEESE EMPANADAS

Steps:

• In the bowl of a standing electric mixer using the paddle attachment, beat the cream cheese and butter on high speed until very smooth, pausing to scrape down the sides of the bowl, as necessary. Reduce the mixer speed to low, add the flour, little by little, and the salt, and process until just combined. Turn the dough out onto a slightly floured surface and knead lightly. Form the dough into a disk, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 3 hours and up to overnight.
• Heat 1 teaspoon of the reserved bacon drippings in a medium nonstick skillet and, when hot, add the spinach. Cook, stirring frequently, until the spinach is wilted and has released its liquid, 2 to 3 minutes. Transfer the spinach to a colander to drain. When the spinach has cooled enough to handle, squeeze to release any excess water, then transfer to a cutting board and finely chop. Set aside.
• Add 2 more teaspoons of the bacon drippings to the same skillet, then add the onion and garlic and cook, stirring, until soft but not browned, 2 to 3 minutes. Add the reserved spinach, crumbled bacon, cottage cheese, salt and pepper to taste and nutmeg and mix thoroughly. Transfer to a mixing bowl and allow to cool thoroughly. Taste and adjust seasoning, if necessary.
• Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F and lightly grease a baking sheet.
• Remove the dough from the refrigerator and, working on a lightly floured work surface, roll the dough to a thickness of about 1/8-inch thick. Using a small bowl or saucer as a guide, cut the dough into as many 5-inch circles as possible. Gather the scraps of dough together and knead lightly to reform the dough into a disk. Roll out as before and again cut as many rounds as you can. You should be able to get 10 to 12 rounds. Divide the spinach filling evenly among the dough circles. Using your fingers, lightly moisten the edges with some of the beaten egg, then fold 1 side over so that the edges meet, and press to seal. Crimp the edges using the tines of a fork and transfer to the prepared baking sheet. Repeat until all of the empanadas are assembled. Brush the tops of each empanada with some of the beaten egg and bake uncovered until golden, 12 to 15 minutes.
• Serve either warm or at room temperature.

CHEESE EMPANADAS

Steps:

• Mixing by hand, combine 2 cups warm water, the shortening and salt in a medium bowl. Slowly add the flour, mixing quickly to avoid lumps. Knead until the ingredients are evenly combined. Let the dough rest for 5 minutes, then shape into small balls (about 3 ounces each).
• Using a hand tortilla press, place a piece of waxed paper on the bottom, center a dough ball on top and cover with another piece of waxed paper. Gently press down to flatten the ball into a thin circle (not too thin or it will crack). Alternatively, you can use a wooden board or large plate to press the dough.
• Remove the top paper and add 1 tablespoon of the cheese to the middle of the pressed dough. Carefully fold one edge of the circle over the cheese to the other edge, and press the edges together to close the empanada. Using a small bowl, place it over the empanada close to the edge and press down slightly to cut the edge and evenly seal it. Repeat with the remaining dough and cheese. Set the empanadas on a large platter and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
• In a large heavy-bottomed saucepan, add enough vegetable oil to fill the pan about a third of the way. Heat over medium heat until a deep-frying thermometer inserted in the oil reaches 350 degrees F. Gently remove the wax paper from each empanada and fry two to four at a time (depending on the pan size) until golden brown, about 5 minutes.
• Serve immediately.

EMPANADAS

Steps:

• In a large saute pan, heat the olive oil. Saute beef and pork until cooked. Strain the meat from the fat and reserve. In the same pan, saute the onions until soft, about 5 to 8 minutes. Add the cooked meat to the onions, and saute 5 minutes. Add the curry powder, cilantro, and spinach and saute for 5 minutes. Remove the mixture from the stove and mix in the goat cheese until completely incorporated. Season with salt and pepper and cool to room temperature.
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• Lay out the chilled cut dough on a cutting board. Spoon a small amount of the stuffing into the center of the dough. Fold the top over the bottom and crimp all the way around with a fork. Lay the empanadas on a sheet pan. See Chef's Note. Bake for 15 minutes or until dough appears crispy.
• Chef's Note: At this point the empanadas can be refrozen for future use.