Baked Snickers Empanadas

I know all you loyal readers (AKA my mom, few friends, and relatives) are probably wondering if these post is a repeat glitch. Well, I hope I am not the only one who remembers these delectable treats.  But this is an important repeat: I have been hard at work trying to take a better picture of my Snickers empanadas.  It is a tough life, my friends, but someone has to do it, right?  Through several attempts of trial and error (all delicious), I have reworked the crust and methods to produce a crispier, flakier empanada.  Now, the absolute best way to make these is to deep fry, but for those who don’t want to fry or lack the tools to do so, this baking method produces great results.

 Empanadas have so many possibilities, people.  Put any dessert combination you love inside:  peanut butter & white chocolate, chocolate & marshmallow fluff, Oreo, Nutella & cherries, blueberries & cream cheese, and more.   And then there are infinite possible savory options too- you really can’t go wrong.  Anything you can dream up can pretty much be put into an empanada.  I think having a holiday empanada party would be a great edition to your social calendars.  I definitely would not turn down an invitation to one.

BAKED SNICKERS EMPANADAS

From Cinnamon Freud

INGREDIENTS

For the Crust:
1/2 cup water
5 ounces butter
1 1/3 cup all purpose flour
Pinch of salt

For the Empanadas:
3/4 cup peanut butter
15-17 mini Snickers, chopped

DIRECTIONS

For the Crust:

In a small saucepan combine water and butter.  Heat over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until butter is melted.

In a bowl combine flour and salt.  Slowly pour in butter mixture, stirring with a wooden spoon until a wet, oily paste forms.  Pour dough onto a sheet of cling wrap.  Wrap cling wrap around dough, forming into a disk.  Chill for at least 1 1/2 hours, preferably 2 hours.

For the Empanadas:

Preheat oven to 400°F.

Divide the dough into 20-25 small equal pieces.  On a lightly floured surface, roll each piece into a 4-5 inch circle. Place about 2 teaspoons of peanut butter in the center of each piece of dough. Divide Snickers pieces among the empanadas.  Fold over the dough tightly, forming a half moon shape.  Crimp closed with a fork.  

Place on lined baking sheet. Freeze for 15 minutes. Bake for 18-25 minutes, until golden brown.  Let cool slightly before eating.

**To reheat, I have found the empanadas still get a crispy shell when you bake as directed above, let cool and store at room temperature, and reheat for 5-7 minutes at 400°F.

Makes 20-25 empanadas.