Baked Apple Empanadas
User Reviews
4.7
Baked Apple Empanadas
Description
This recipe involves cooking diced honeycrisp apples with Mexican piloncillo, lemon juice, vanilla, cinnamon, and cloves until the fruit is very tender and infused with a spiced syrup. While the filling cools, a rich dough is prepared combining all-purpose flour, sugar, salt, cold butter, eggs, and water. The dough is processed or cut with a pastry cutter then kneaded and divided into small balls, rolled into flat disks.
The assembled empanadas enclose the flavorful apple filling inside these dough disks and are baked until golden and crisp. The combination yields a flaky exterior with a soft, sweet, and warmly spiced apple center. The recipe supports scaling by preparing and storing dough disks or filling in advance.
Empanadas like these suit dessert occasions or cozy snacks, pairing well with tea or coffee. The use of piloncillo adds an authentic Mexican sweetness that deepens the flavor compared to regular brown sugar. They offer a pleasing contrast between the crust's buttery texture and the filling's soft fruitiness.
For convenience, store-bought frozen empanada discs may substitute homemade dough. Remaining filling can be refrigerated for up to a week, while dough disks store well overnight or frozen for longer preservation.
Ingredients
For the filling
- 5 large apple peeled and diced, honeycrisp
- 3/4 cup piloncillo about 3/4 of a cone (or brown sugar, Mexican
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/8 teaspoon cloves ground
For the dough
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1 pinch kosher salt
- 1 cup butter cut into 16 pieces, cold, 2 sticks
- 2 large egg
- 2 tablespoons water cold
- 1 egg white
- 4 tablespoons turbinado sugar
Instructions
For the filling
- Add all ingredients into a small pot. Cook over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally, until the apples are super tender and have soaked up a lot of the sugar and liquid, about 15-20 minutes.
- Transfer cooked apples into a bowl and set aside to cool down. *
For the dough
- In a food processor, mix together the flour, sugar and salt. Add the butter, eggs and water and pulse together until a clumpy dough forms. If not using a food processor, mix dry ingredients in a large bowl with a fork and use a pastry cutter like this one to incorporate the butter, eggs and water.
- Transfer dough onto a floured work surface and knead into a ball. Cut into 4 pieces and then cut each piece again into 4 smaller pieces. You should have a total of 16 pieces. Roll each piece into a ball using the palm of your hands.
- Working on your floured work surface, roll each ball into a flat disk about 6 to 7 inches in diameter using a rolling pin. Place disks onto a baking sheet covered in parchment paper.To save room, I placed about 3 disks onto the parchment paper, placed another layer of parchment paper on top, and continued stacking disks onto the same baking sheet, making sure there's always parchment paper in between each layer so they don't stick together. Once all the disks are formed, cover baking sheet with plastic wrap and chill in the refrigerator for about 30 minutes.**
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.Continuing to work on a floured surface, place about 2 1/2 tablespoons of the apple filling onto each flattened dough disk. Fold one side over and pinch the sides together using your index finger until the empanada is fully sealed. You can also press the edges together using the tines of a fork instead of your fingers. As long as the empanadas are sealed, you're good to go.Placed the filled and sealed empanadas onto 2 large baking sheets lined with parchment paper.
- Cut a small slit or poke a few holes in the top of each empanada to let some of the steam out while baking. Brush the tops of the empanadas with the egg white and sprinkle with turbinado sugar. Bake for 25-30 minutes, until the pastry is lightly browned.
Notes
- Prepared apple filling can be refrigerated up to one week in an airtight container.
- Dough disks can be stored overnight in the refrigerator or frozen for up to a month before baking.
- Store-bought frozen empanada discs can be used as a time-saving alternative to homemade dough.
Nutrition Information
Show DetailsNutrition Facts
Serving: 16empanadas
Amount Per Serving
Calories 281 kcal
% Daily Value*
| Serving | 1empanada | |
| Calories | 281kcal | 14% |
| Carbohydrates | 37g | 12% |
| Protein | 4g | 8% |
| Fat | 12g | 18% |
| Saturated Fat | 7g | 35% |
| Polyunsaturated Fat | 1g | 6% |
| Monounsaturated Fat | 3g | 15% |
| Cholesterol | 54mg | 18% |
| Sodium | 15mg | 1% |
| Potassium | 64mg | 1% |
| Fiber | 1g | 4% |
| Sugar | 21g | 42% |
| Vitamin A | 400IU | 8% |
| Vitamin C | 4.1mg | 5% |
| Calcium | 10mg | 1% |
| Iron | 0.2mg | 1% |
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.
User Reviews
Overall Rating
4.7
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