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Empanadas

Read Reviews (319)

"Better make plenty - these disappear fast. The unbaked dough may be frozen. The baked cookies may also be frozen." — Rosina

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Original recipe makes 2 1/2 dozen Change Servings

1/2 cup butter, softened
1 (3 ounce) package cream cheese
1 cup sifted all-purpose flour

1 cup fruit preserves
1/3 cup white sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

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Directions

DAY BEFORE: Cream butter and cream cheese together until smoothly blended. Beat in the flour. Shape dough into a smooth ball, wrap in foil or cling wrap, and refrigerate overnight or up to a week.
AT BAKING TIME: Remove dough from refrigerator 30 minutes before using. Start heating oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
Roll chilled dough thin. Cut with 3 or 4 inch round cookie cutter. Place small spoonful of jam in center of each round, moisten edges with water.
Fold round over and press edges together. Bake on ungreased cookie sheet 15 to 20 minutes. Immediately roll in sugar mixed with cinnamon (traditional) OR in confectioners' sugar if preferred.

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***** I've made this 4 times already. TIP: The best thing is to use it right away (next day) so it won't become too sticky. The dought i baked today was in the refrig. for 5 days and it was sooooo sticky. Didn't have a problem with the previous ones which i baked the next day. /I made a batch of apple filled (apple pie filling with a little cinnamon) and another batch with nutella and crushed hazelnuts. In my opinion, fruit is the way to go. These were delicious. The kids liked the nutella ones too but i think they were a little too sweet. The Nutella is least likely to "leak" in the oven and they seemed easier to handle when they are still hot. The fruit ones stay softer longer after cooking them so i had to wait a little longer for them to "set" so they could be transfered to the serving dish. No Biggie!! I was just in a hurry and i needed my cookie sheet to bake some more. I love this recipe so much i want to try all kinds of fillings in it. You should try it too!

—LatinaCook

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Most Helpful Critical Review

Mar 14, 2011

I did not like this dough. It came out way too flaky for my taste. It's better for pastry empanadas, than savory ones.

—YumLover

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383 Ratings

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Jun 20, 2006

This dough is super. I had no problems with the consistency or the filling. I used plenty of flour when rolling out and baked on parchment-lined baking sheets. Definitely go with parchment if you want an easy clean up! If you're like me and don't like the hassle of rolling out dough, you can also shape these into 1" balls, then press the balls flat with the bottom of a glass - much less work & mess! Finally, use high-quality preserves for your filling - it will make a difference!

—momof2pumpkins

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Dec 24, 2005

Yum! This is the first time I've made empanadas, and your dough was fantastic. I filled them with picadillo (ground beef, potatoes, carrots, etc.) and brushed some egg on top to make them golden brown. They were a hit. I used lots of flour when rolling out the dough, as others had suggested, and I floured the wax paper on the cookie sheet so they wouldn't stick (the first batch stuck even to the wax paper). They weren't ready after 20 minutes so I cooked them for almost 30 and they turned out great. Thank you for this Christmas Eve hit. Oh, my sister suggests a little bit of salt in the dough. I liked it as is, though.

—PattiVerde

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Sep 07, 2006

So wonderful! A great starting point for many different filling choices. I bought a 3.5" Cut-and-Seal gizmo from Pampered Chef (no- not affiliated with them in any way). The device has a spring loaded crimping edge to perfectly seal the pastries. It makes it easier to get good looking empanadas and speeds up the whole filling process. It costs less than $10.

—BINDERSBEE

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Oct 22, 2005

excellent! I filled some with thinly sliced apples tossed with cinnamon, ginger and allspice then added a small chunk of cream cheese. Another batch I added cream cheese with dried fruits and toasted walnuts and then tried a few filled with peanut butter and jam and another few I put apples and cheddar cheese together. I found that they were all best eatten slighly cooled out of the oven so the cheese is still gooey but tossed in the microwave the next day for a few seconds give the same effect.

—ElishaL

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Apr 13, 2006

First, the dough HAS to stay cold or they don't come together very well. Made these twice, once with a seedless jam and all the jam came out while baking. The second time I used chopped up apple pie filling. That was a total success!! Took these to a Spanish Club dinner and they disappeared! Glad I snacked on a couple before I left home.

—KDETS89

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Jun 19, 2003

This recipe deserves 10 STARS! You need to allow yourself plenty of time to put them together. The result is well worth it!! Make sure you moisten the inside edge of one half of the circle before seal it then pinch it. I rolled the finished cookies in cinnimon-sugar mix. I took these to a Christmas party and they were THE HIT COOKIE! Thankfully I made a double batch!

—sahmomof2

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Nutrition

Calories
226 kcal
11%

Carbohydrates
32.1 g
10%

Cholesterol
28 mg
9%

Fat
10.3 g
16%

Fiber
0.7 g
3%

Protein
1.8 g
4%

Sodium
84 mg
3%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.

Nutritional Information

Empanadas

Serving Size: 1/12 of a recipe
Servings Per Recipe: 12
Amount Per Serving
Calories: 226
Calories from Fat: 92

% Daily Value *
Total Fat 10.3g 16 %
Saturated Fat 6.4g 32 %
Cholesterol 28mg 9 %
Sodium 84mg 3 %
Potassium 43mg 1 %
Total Carbohydrates 32.1g 10 %
Dietary Fiber 0.7g 3 %
Protein 1.8g 4 %
Sugars 18.4g
Vitamin A 7 %
Vitamin C 4 %
Calcium 2 %
Iron 7 %
Thiamin 8 %
Niacin 7 %
Vitamin B6 < 1 %
Magnesium 1 %
Folate 16 %

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.
** Nutrient information is not available for all ingredients. Amount is based on available nutrient data.
(-) Information is not currently available for this nutrient. If you are following a medically restrictive diet, please consult your doctor or registered dietitian before preparing this recipe for personal consumption.