Day 179 - Autumn Apple Empanada

We still have TONS of apples from our apple picking outing last weekend. And since I had today off from school I decided to play with them and some pie dough. I will eventually bake an actual apple pie, how could I not? But I was looking for something a bit smaller and more unique. So this is what I came up with!

 Apple Empanada

• 1 pre-made package of pie dough (or your favorite home made recipe, enough for 2 - 9inch rounds)
• 2-3 large apples
• 1/4 cup Turbinado sugar
• 1/2 cup Apple Butter
• 2 Tbsp. corn starch
• 1 egg (beaten for egg wash)

1. Preheat oven according to package/recipe directions. Prepare a cookie sheet with a non-stick mat or a piece of aluminum foil lightly oiled.
2. Peel, core and dice your apples. Larger chunks are better, and they don't need to be uniform. I like to go with a kind of rustic, rough chop.
3. Place turbinado sugar into a small sauce pot and add water to just cover the sugar. Place over high heat. The sugar will need to cook until it becomes a caramel. It will boil rapidly, letting go of a lot of steam, then it will being to slow. Don not stir. Once it becomes a rich amber color, and the bubbles have slowed, remove from the heat and immediately add your apples and stir to coat. Add your cornstarch and stir well. Stir in the apple butter; set aside to cool.
4. Lay out your pie dough on your prepared cookie tray. With a pastry brush (or a paper towel dipped in the egg wash) apply a ring of egg wash around the outer edge of the dough. Place a small 3 inch circle of egg wash in the center of the dough as well.
5. Spoon the apple mixture in a ring between the two areas of egg wash.
6. Place the other pie dough atop and press along all of the egg wash to seal. Turn the outer edges up and crimp with your fingers or with a fork.
7. Score the center of the pie dough with 4 even marks.
8. Egg wash the entire empanada.
9. Pull the points of dough into the pastry from the center, pressing them to the body of the empanada to secure them. allow the egg wash to dry. Once dry apply a second healthy coat of egg wash and sprinkle the top with sugar.
10. Bake until a rich golden brown color, rotating the tray once during baking.
11. Remove from the oven and try not to dig in right away (you'll burn your mouth).

Slice once it is cool. Makes 12 yummy portions. For Weight Watcher's this is 5 points per slice (at 12 slices per empanada and using my home-made apple buttter).

This is a great morning or afternoon treat : )

Tomorrow: Weigh In day (which may be scary this week... I've had two really bad days this week) and I'll share my apple butter recipe with you! It is what I used in this recipe.