Apricot Empanadas Easy Recipes

Steps:

• In a small bowl, cream butter and cream cheese until light and fluffy. Gradually beat in flour and lemon zest. Shape dough into a ball. Cover and refrigerate overnight.
• Remove dough from the fridge 1 hour before rolling out.
• On a lightly floured surface roll out the dough into a rectangle approximately 12x18. Cut the dough into 6 strips (longways) and 4 cuts across so that you end up with 24 squares about 3x3 inches. Brush the edges of all the little squares with water. Spoon about a teaspoon of jam into the center of each one, fold pastry over filling forming little triangles. Seal the edges well with a fork. Sprinkle with cinnamon-sugar.
• Place on greased baking sheets (I use parchment paper instead) and bake 15-18 minutes or until golden brown. Cool on wire racks.
• Refrigerate leftovers (we never have leftovers).

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.
• For the dough: Mix the flour oil, baking powder, cinnamon, sugar. Add just enough water to make the dough silky. Roll the dough out 1/8-inch thick and cut with a 4-inch cookie cutter.
• For the fruit: Mash the fruit with the sugar, cinnamon, cloves and nutmeg. Spoon 2 tablespoons of fruit on one half of a circle of dough, then fold it over to look like a half-moon. Pinch the edges with a fork to seal.
• Bake until brown, about 15 minutes, then sprinkle with cinnamon sugar.

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
• Roll dough to 1/8-inch thickness. Cut into circles, 3 inches in diameter; a plastic lid from a 1 pound coffee can makes perfect circle cutter. Dampen the outside edge of the circle with water. Place 1 1/4 tablespoons of apricot filling in the center of each pastry circle. Fold pastry in half over filling and pinch together to seal; can press with fork to seal. Mix together sugar and cinnamon. Sprinkle over each Empanada. Place Empanadas on a baking tray and bake for 15 to 20 minutes.
• Mix flour and salt in large mixing bowl. Add shortening. Blend flour and shortening into little pieces to look like tiny peas. Add water all at once by sprinkling. Stir with fork to incorporate water into mixture. Add more water if needed. Flour your work surface and hands, scoop dough out of the bowl, place it onto your work surface and pat into a ball. Divide into 3 or 4 smaller balls.
• Place dried fruit in a large pan and cover with water. Cook at medium heat until fruit is soft and almost mushy. Drain excess water. Mix sugar, cinnamon and nutmeg (Pinon nuts are optional) into the fruit mixture, stirring until it is thick. Set aside to cool.

Steps:

• Place the dried apricots and 1 1/2 cups of water into a saucepan, and bring to a boil. Cook for about 15 minutes, or until tender. Remove from heat, and allow to cool slightly.
• In the container of a blender or large food processor, combine the apricots with any remaining water, sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves. Cover, and puree until smooth. Set aside.
• Pour 1 cup of water into a large bowl, and sprinkle the yeast over the top. Let stand for about 5 minutes to dissolve the yeast. Mix in the shortening and salt. Gradually mix in the flour using a sturdy spoon until the dough is stiff enough to knead on a floured surface. Knead the dough until smooth and elastic, about 8 minutes. Do not set aside the dough to rise.
• Roll out the dough to 1/4 to 1/8 inch thickness. Cut into circles with a large biscuit cutter or round cookie cutter. Spoon about a tablespoon of the filling in the center of the circles, and fold over. Seal the edges by pressing with your fingers.
• Heat about 1 inch of oil in a deep heavy skillet over medium-high heat, or to 365 degrees F (185 degrees C). Fry the pastries in the hot oil, turning once, until golden brown. Drain on paper towels.

Steps:

• Make the filling: In a 12-inch skillet over medium-high, cook meat until no longer pink, breaking it up into small pieces, 5 to 7 minutes.
• Add onion and jalapenos; cook until soft, 5 minutes. Stir in chili powder and tomatoes. Cook over medium until mixture has thickened, 12 to 15 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Fold in cilantro. Let cool.
• Make the dough: In a bowl, combine flour, baking powder, and salt. Using your fingers, cut in butter until mixture is crumbly. Add just enough cold water so dough comes together.
• Form empanadas. If desired, freeze on a baking sheet until firm, 2 hours. Wrap tightly in plastic; freeze in plastic bags.
• To bake fresh or frozen empanadas, preheat oven to 400 degrees. Place on parchment-lined baking sheets. Brush tops with egg wash, avoiding crimped edges. Bake until golden brown, rotating sheets halfway through, 30 to 40 minutes.

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 425°. In a large skillet, cook beef and onion over medium heat until beef is no longer pink, breaking up beef into crumbles, 5-7 minutes; drain. Stir in cream cheese, preserves, carrot and seasonings. Cool slightly., On a lightly floured work surface, unroll sheets of pie crust. Cut 40 circles with a floured 3-in. cookie cutter, rerolling crust as necessary. Place half of the circles 2 in. apart on parchment-lined baking sheets. Top each with 1 rounded tablespoon beef mixture. Top with remaining crust circles; press edges with a fork to seal., Brush tops with egg yolk; sprinkle with sesame seeds. Cut slits in tops. Bake until golden brown, 12-15 minutes. Remove from pan to a wire rack., Meanwhile, in a microwave, warm sauce ingredients, stirring to combine. Serve with empanadas. Freeze option: Cover and freeze unbaked empanadas on waxed paper-lined baking sheets until firm. Transfer to a freezer container; return to freezer. To use, bake empanadas as directed, increasing time as necessary. Prepare sauce as directed.