Easy Pumpkin Empanadas

Step 1

Melt the butter in a small pot over medium-high heat. Add the brown sugar. Cook for 3 minutes, stirring often.

Step 2

Add the pumpkin puree, vanilla extract, ground cinnamon, ground cloves, orange zest and orange juice. Stir together to combine and cook for 3 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Step 3

Remove from heat and stir in orange zest and orange juice. Transfer filling to a medium bowl and let cool completely in the refrigerator. While the filling is cooling down, prepare the dough.

Step 4

In a food processor, mix together the flour, sugar and salt. Add the butter, eggs and water and pulse together until a clumpy dough forms. If not using a food processor, mix dry ingredients in a large bowl with a fork and use a pastry cutter like this one to incorporate the butter, eggs and water.

Step 5

Transfer dough onto a floured work surface and knead into a ball. Cut into a total of 16 pieces. Roll each piece into a ball using the palm of your hands.

Step 6

Working on your floured work surface, roll each ball into a flat disk about 6 to 7 inches in diameter using a rolling pin. Place disks onto a baking sheet covered in parchment paper.

Step 7

To save room, I placed about 3 disks onto the parchment paper, placed another layer of parchment paper on top, and continued stacking disks onto the same baking sheet, making sure there's always parchment paper in between each layer so they don't stick together. Once all the disks are formed, cover baking sheet with plastic wrap and chill in the refrigerator for about 15 minutes.*

Step 8

Preheat oven to 375°F. Continuing to work on a floured surface, place a heaping spoonful of filling onto each flattened dough disk. Fold one side over and pinch the sides together using your index finger until the empanada is fully sealed. You can also press the edges together using the tines of a fork instead of your fingers. As long as the empanadas are sealed, you're good to go.

Step 9

Placed the filled and sealed empanadas onto 2 large baking sheets lined with parchment paper.

Step 10

Brush the tops of the empanadas with the egg white and sprinkle with turbinado sugar. Bake for 25-30 minutes, until the pastry is lightly browned.