Sunday morning Apple Empanadas

After a busy week of cooking for the holiday, this recipe is easy and can make use of extra apple pie filling. You can also use pumpkin or sweet potato pie filling too. The recipe includes substitutions for vegan, gluten-free, low and no sugar dietary needs.

Small batch apple filling

3 small apples medium or small diced (Granny Smith, Fuji, Honeycrisp, or you favorite apple. Red delicious isn’t a good choice)

¼ cup plus 1 tablespoon sugar (Swerve sweetener, Splenda granulated, or coconut, turbinado, or raw cane sugar, pulsed fine)

½ tablespoon light or dark brown sugar (Swerve light brown sugar substitute, organic light or dark brown sugar)

1 ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon

¼ teaspoon fresh or ground nutmeg

¼ teaspoon mace (optional)

¼ teaspoon ground ginger (optional)

½ tablespoon cornstarch

½ tablespoon cold water

1 tablespoon unsalted butter

Combine the cold water and cornstarch in small bowl, set aside. In a small saucepan, combine apples, sugar, and spices. Cook over a low flame until apples begin to soften. Stir in the cornstarch mixture until it begins to thicken. Remove from the heat and stir in the butter. Pour into a bowl and let cool to room temperature. The filling will keep covered in the fridge for up to two months.

Empanada Dough

1 2/3 cups all-purpose flour (gluten-free all-purpose flour, 1 to 1 gluten-free baking blend flour, sorghum, brown rice, or oat flour)

1 teaspoons baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/3 cup vegetable shortening (organic vegetable shortening, vegan butter) (dairy: unsalted butter)

1 large eggs (3 tablespoons Aquafaba, ¼ cup silken tofu plus 1/8 teaspoon baking soda, 1 flaxseed or chia seed egg, or egg replacer)

1/4 cup milk (dairy: whole, 2%, fat-free) (non-dairy: almond, soy, rice, or light coconut milk)

Directions:

1. In a large bowl, sift all of the dry ingredients in a large bowl. Using your hand or a pastry cutter, cut the lard in until it broken down, set aside.

2. Whisk the eggs and milk together and gradually add them into the dry ingredients until dough forms. Transfer to a lightly floured surface and knead for 5 to 6 minutes, adding a little more flour to make a soft dough. Cover and chill for one hour. This dough will make 15 large empanadas or 30 small empanadas.

• The small-batch dough and apple filling recipes are easily doubled.

• 

• 

•