As days, months and years go by with this pandemic I get more and more homesick. I dream of the day when I will be able to go back home to visit my family, but also so I can go and enjoy all those things I cannot get over here. Every time I go back to my hometown of Monterrey, I have a great time eating everything and anything my little heart desires. All this time being away has given me huge cravings, but more of a longing to enjoy all those delicious treats.
Every time I go home, I must visit my favorite panadería, where the best sweet bread and pastries are found. I have to buy a variety including conchas and orejas, but I absolutely have to have Empanadas de Calabaza.
A specialty of North-eastern Mexico, let me tell you - these little empanadas are addictive! Not too sweet and deliciously flaky, an empanada or two makes for a very enjoyable treat - morning, noon or night.
Every town has their way of making these empanadas, starting with cooking the pumpkin with piloncillo, the raw sugar that has that sweet molasses taste. Most cooks flavour their pumpkin with canela and aniseed, but some use cloves as well. There are also versions of the dough that have yeast, but the most traditional do not have it.
You can make these Empanadas with canned pumpkin, if you don't have the inclination of cooking the pumpkin first, and butternut squash puree makes a really good substitute. If you use either of these, your empanadas will still be absolutely delicious and the perfect accompaniment of an afternoon cup of coffee or tea.
Empanadas de Calabaza
Pumpkin Empanadas
Pastry:
3 1/4 cups flour
2 tsp baking powder
½ tsp salt
½ cup butter, chilled well and cut into 1/2 inch pieces
½ cup vegetable shortening
2/3 cup (or more) ice cold water
Filling:
2 ½ cup cooked pumpkin puree (canned is acceptable)
¾ - 1 cup chopped piloncillo or dark brown sugar
1 Tbsp ground Mexican canela
¼ cup ground cloves or ground aniseed
In small saucepan, mix pumpkin puree, piloncillo, canela and cloves and heat over medium heat. Cook until pumpkin is very dry, about 5 minutes. Spread out on a plate and let cool completely before filling empanadas.
For pastry, mix flour, baking powder and salt in a bowl. Cut in shortening and butter until mixture resembles coarse meal. Add just enough cold water for the dough to come together and form a ball. Knead until smooth. Let rest 10-15 minutes.
Preheat oven to 350°F. On a lightly floured board roll pastry to 1/8-inch thickness. Using a 5 to 6 inch cutter, cut out rounds. Spoon about 2 Tbsp of the filling in centre of each round. Fold pastry in half and seal edges, crimping with a fork. Bake on ungreased baking sheet for 18-25 minutes, or until golden brown on the bottom. Let cool on rack.
Makes about 36 empanadas.