If you’re wondering what sort of picture composition is that and what kind of unidentified globule is that in the middle of the plate, well, just read on.
Still reeling from my meringue-custard disaster, what was I doing carving limes and think I’d finish in time for Jeanne’s SHF 24? Well, I thought I could have a glacé fruit post but didn’t realise how much of a challenge it was for this particular example.
In any case, just for the spirit of the event, here is a platter of empanaditas or diminutive empanadas. These little morsels are also known as pañaritas, still from the word empanaditas.
Many countries the world over has its own version of the turnover. The Philippines has the empanada, courtesy of the Spanish conquest. These are palm-sized savoury pastries with meat and vegetable fillings. In my province, there is a small version, thus the name empanadita, but these are sweet and filled with fruit preserves or cheese. The dough for the miniature turnovers is different from the flakey savoury pastry though. Instead, they have a more crumbly texture.
For my take on empanaditas, I used two non-traditional fillings. The first is a chocolate-peanut blend. Someone gave me a bottle of cacao-peanut paste, which is what we use to make our traditional hot chocolate with. However, the blend smells like it’s made of equal amounts of cacao nibs and roasted peanuts. Well, not for me. So I thought I’d be creative with it. The second filling is made of apple and cinnamon, almost like the one for apple pie.
As for that unidentified globule, that’s a lime. It has been carved, hollowed and preserved in syrup. If you wish to find out how that is made, you’ll just have to cross your fingers! Next week, perhaps?
Empanaditas
Fillings
Chocolate
2 tbsp. butter
1 tsp. flour
1/2 can sweetened condensed milk
1 egg, lightly beaten
5 tablespoons cacao-peanut paste
In a heavy saucepan, melt the butter then add the flour. Stir gently till free of lumps. Take off from heat and pour the condensed milk. Return to fire and stir gently till mixture thickens. Remove from heat then add the egg. Stir gently till well combined then return to heat. Add the cacao-peanut paste and combine well and let thicken to desired consistency.
Enough for approximately 40 empanaditas
Apple-cinnamon
1 large apple (I used a Fuji)
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
3 tbsp. muscovado sugar
1/3 cup water
Peel and grate the apple then combine with the cinnamon. In a heavy saucepan, boil the water and sugar for five minutes or till the sugar melts and mixture is reduced to half. Add the apple-cinnamon mixture. Simmer gently till thick.
Enough for approximately 20-25 empanaditas
Dough
200 g. flour (baker’s or AP)
135 g. butter, cut into small pieces
1 tbsp. white sugar
1/4 cup ice water
Combine the sugar and butter. Pour the water then blend. Add the flour and knead well. Roll out thinly on a floured surface then cut small circles, approximately 5 cm./2 in. across. Place approximately a teaspoon of the filling in the centre, fold and pinch the edges. Flute, fold or flatten with a fork. Use one design for each filling.
Arrange empanaditas on a cookie sheet and bake in a preheated oven (350 degrees F) for five minutes or till light golden brown.
Dough makes around 60 empanaditas
They may not be jumbo, but all empanadas are fine by me!
which one tastes better? the chocolate or the apple cinnamon? oh, and cacao-peanut paste? where can you get that? :birthdaycake:
They sell Chilean empanadas here in Toronto and they are big! I thought maybe that’s why some call the turnovers in the Philippines “empanaditas”. I didn’t know that it was not size that differentiated them until I read your blog.
My Chilean friend, Alejandro Palavecino of Concepcion, Chile, showed me how to make the Chilean empnadas. The dough is thck and bready and baked. The filling is a mix of ground beef, onions, black olives and hard-boiled egg. However, he also makes what I called “non-traditional” empanadas (that is wrong because they make two kinds of empanadas in Chile) that are made of a flaky dough and fried. But he filled them with just about anything. My favorites were the shrimp and scallions.
Hi Brilynn, thanks for leaving a message. After all the sweet posts, my tastebuds would definitely welcome a jumbo savoury empanada. Hehehe!
Genie, need you ask? The cacao-peanut empanaditas were fine but of course, my heart yearns after something fruity. :apple:
You get a bottle of the paste when you come home. Personally roasted, cleaned and ground by errmm… me!
Hi Maripi! I suppose it’s the size too, hahaha! But when you say ‘empanaditas’ that automatically translates into something sweet, at least from what I know. Some areas call these tarts though.
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Ah! Thank you for your recipe on these wonderful little empanaditas! I’ve been yearning to make something Filipino, but have been deterred by the amount of meat in Filipino culture (I’m a Filipino vegan, and the first one in my family, probably).
Of course, I’ll use the vegan equivalents. But amongst the butter ensaymadas and egg-filled pandesales, this is right up my alley! Most of the time, eating Indian-inspired foods, but this one… Ohh!! ^___^
I’m much elated to use it for my Ruhi study group and party coming up soon. Maraming salamat po!
Kevyn.
hi mam… i was actually searching the net for “panaritas”… i know somebody here in malolos who is an expert in carving “dayap” very much like the one in the picture… she is actually a national artist on pastillas wrapper making ang dayap carving…gawa po ba ito na Nanay Luz Ocampo?”
Cheap drugs online, it’s true or a myth?
Thank you for your reply.
Drugs on the internet cheap!
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