Chocolate & Pecan Empanadas
Ingredients
PASTRY
170g plain flour
100g butter
1 egg yolk
1 tbsp caster sugar
Ice cold water
FILLING
300g dark chocolate (either buttons or pieces, use the best quality you can afford)
120g pecan nuts (or about 30 pecan halves)
Description
These little parcels combine 2 great ingredients of Mexico - chocolate and pecan nuts. Pecan trees, Carya pecan, are large trees native to Mexico. This recipe makes nearly 20-25 sweet party snacks and so easy to make!
Method
PASTRY
Put the flour and butter into the bowl of a food processor and pulse until it resembles fine breadcrumbs. Add the egg yolk and continue to pulse until mixed in, then add iced water, a little at a time and keep mixing until it comes tgether as one whole ball of dough. Be careful not to over-mix. A drier pastry is preferable at this point even though it can seem more difficult to handle.
Remove from the mixing bowl, wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 10-30 minutes.
MAKING EMPANADAS
Preheat the oven to 180C.
Roll out the pastry to 5mm thickness and cut into circles. Divide the chocolate and nuts between all pastry circles, assembling the ingredients in the centre (works out to about 10g or 2 squares of chocolate and 2 pecans per parcel).
Using a pastry brush, brush the edges of the pastry with water.
Fold each in half to make semi-circles. Press the endges with a fork to ensure a good seal!
Bake on a lined baking tray for 15 minutes, or until puffed up and golden brown.
Dust with sugar and cinnamon and serve warm or cold.
Categories
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