Since I had problems with the masa dough empanadas that I made recently, I looked for an alternative dough to make sweet empanadas to use up the last of the peaches from the recent peach glut. Though these are sweet empanadas, the dough is still savoury, so it could be used for other types of empanadas too.
Though I made empanadas with fresh peaches, you could easily use jam or any other type of fruit combinations such as apple and cinnamon. Something to note is that you could make this pastry style empanada dough by hand, but if you have hot hands like me, it would be best to use a food processor to prevent the lard or butter from melting.
Pastry style empanada dough
Ingredients
- 1.5 cups (354ml) of plain flour (all purpose)
- 0.25 cup (60ml) of lard or butter
- 0.33 cup (80ml) of milk
- 1 egg yolk
- 0.5 tsp salt
Method
Using a food processor, pulse together the flour and salt. Add the fat and blend together well. Mix the egg and milk together and add to the food processor little by little while pulsing the dough. Stop when clumps start to form. Divide the dough in two and form into discs. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for a least half an hour. Alternatively ,you can freeze the dough until another time.
Making Peach Empanadas
Making Peach Empanadas
The method for making these is similar to the masa empanadas I made with a savoury filling. Break off a ball of dough roughly 1.5″ (4cm) in size and form a disc either with a tortilla press or a rolling pin. Place some chopped up fresh piece (or peach jam) on one side of the disc, sprinkle on some brown sugar, wet the edges and fold into a crescent shape. Seal the edges with a fork or by hand. Brush with beaten egg and bake in a 400F (200C) oven for 25mins until golden brown. They are best served hot with vanilla ice-cream, but the can be enjoyed cold too.
Peach Empanadas and ice-cream