This all comes together at the end.
Ingredients
- dough (recipe below)
- fruit filling (recipe below)
- vegetable oil for frying
- chocolate glaze for topping (recipe below)
Dough
- 3 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
- 3 tablespoons sugar
- 3/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
- 1/2 cup high-quality lard or vegetable shortening
- 1 large egg, beaten
- 1 cup buttermilk
- Combine the flour, sugar, salt, and lard in a food processor and pulse 10 to 15 times until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs, with some larger flakes of lard strewn throughout.
- Add the beaten egg, stirring gently with a fork, then add the buttermilk and stir gently until it all comes together. Form the dough into a ball and wrap in plastic wrap.
- Refrigerate for at least 1 hour.
Filling
- 1 pound apples, peaches, plums, or apricots, peeled, cored or pitted, and diced
- 1 pound blueberries, blackberries, or raspberries
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon cornstarch
- Combine the fruit, sugar, salt, lemon juice, and cornstarch in a medium saucepan and cook over medium heat, stirring until the mixture has thickened slightly.
- Remove from the heat and allow to cool.
Chocolate Glaze
Makes about 2 cups
- 6 tablespoons (34 stick) unsalted butter
- 3 ounces unsweetened chocolate (99% cacao), chopped
- 3 cups powdered sugar
- 2 tablespoons whole milk
- Melt the butter and chocolate in a small heavy saucepan over low heat.
- Stir in the sugar, then slowly stir in the amount of milk to reach the desired consistency.
- Remove from the heat and use immediately.
Corn Syrup Custard
Makes about 1 cup
- 3 large eggs, at room temperature
- 1/2 cup packed dark brown sugar or honey
- 1/2 cup light corn syrup
- Pinch of fine sea salt
- 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 3/4 cup salted toasted pecan halves (optional)
- Preheat the oven to 300° F.
- Whisk the eggs in a large bowl until slightly frothy. Add the brown sugar, corn syrup, salt, and vanilla and whisk very well to combine. Add the pecans, if using, and stir to coat.
- Pour the mixture into a 9-inch square baking dish. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, rotating the dish halfway through, until the edges are set, but the center still jiggles slightly; do not overbake. Let cool completely on a rack, then refrigerate.
Now put it together
- Lightly flour the surface. Roll out the dough to 18 inch thick. Use the back of the mold to cut rounds (I use the 5- inch mold).
- Gently press the dough into the open mold.
- Place 2 tablespoons of filling right into the center; be careful not to get any on the sides, or the pie won’t seal.
- Fold the mold together, crimping the two sides as you press.
- Combine any leftover scraps, roll it out again, and cut out additional rounds. Repeat as directed in previous steps.
- This will all go very fast. In no time at all you’re ready to fry ’em up!
- Heat the vegetable oil to 365°F in a large deep saucepan. Working in batches, fry the empanadas, turning once, for 2 to 4 minutes per side, until the dough is rich golden brown. Drain on paper towels and transfer to a plate in a warm oven while you cook the rest of the empanadas. Serve warm.
Excerpted from Jeni’s Splendid Ice Cream Desserts by Jeni Britton Bauer (Artisan Books). Copyright © 2014.