The original recipe for this empanada dough came from my tía Minerva, who live in Monterrey, Mexico. I took the dough recipe and instead of cooking the fruit filling, I thought how wonderful the flavors would be if I used fresh fruits instead!
I worked in a fudge shop for many years and I remember how they would take fresh fruits and dip them in chocolate. Everyone loved that! When I first heard that there was beer in the dough, I was afraid it would taste funny with a sweet filling. To my surprise, it did not! This works well with both sweet and savory fillings.
Ingredients
- 1¼ cup of shortening
- 6 oz cold light beer
- 3 cups of all-purpose flour plus more for dusting
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 2 cups of diced mango
- 1 cup of chocolate chips milk, dark or white
- 1 small can Dulce de Leche Caramel sauce “La Lechera” brand
- 6 tablespoons of raw sugar
- 2 teaspoons granulated sugar
- Egg wash 1 egg with 1 tablespoon of water, whisked
Instructions
- Melt the shortening in microwave-safe bowl until it becomes liquid, about 45 seconds. Pour the cold beer, salt and baking powder into the melted shortening and stir gently. Gradually add in the flour, stirring with a wooden spoon. You want to start kneading the dough and add enough flour so dough is no longer sticky. Cover with plastic wrap and chill for a good hour.
- While the dough is chilling, combine chopped fruit with two teaspoons of granulated sugar, stir well to combine and set aside. I recommend transferring the dulce de leche caramel to a heavy storage bag or pastry bag, snip the corner of the bag, set aside until ready to use.
- Preheat the oven to 395ºF, line cookie sheets with parchment paper or spray pans directly with Pam. When dough is ready, divide dough into 18 to 20 (1½ inch balls). On a flat floured surface, roll out the dough balls one at a time to about 4 inches, adding flour as needed. Fill one half with 1 tablespoon of chocolate chips, 1 tablespoon of caramel sauce and about 1½ tablespoons of fresh fruit. Leave a little space on the edge of the dough, fold over and pinch the edges together to seal. Transfer to cookie sheets.
- Brush with egg wash and sprinkle with remaining raw sugar. Bake in preheated oven for about 30 minutes or until golden brown. Let the empanadas cool completely before storing in an airtight container. Empanadas can be frozen if you are not going eat within the next two days. Serve warm or at room temperature.
Would Love to Hear From You