Empanadas De Peras (Pear Pastries)

Posted for Zaar World Tour II, this traditional Chilean treat is from Eliana Parra's Aunt Rose and Sundays at Moosewood Restaurant. These empanadas may also be simply made using your favorite flavor of canned pie filling.

• Ready In: 1 hr 30 mins
• Serves: 16

Ingredients

• 3  cups  dried pears (1 1/2 pounds)
• 4 1⁄2 cups water
• 1⁄2 cup sugar
• 1⁄2 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1⁄4 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1 1⁄2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1⁄4 teaspoon salt
• 1⁄2 cup butter, softened to room temperature
• 2  egg yolks
• 5 -8  tablespoons  ice water
• 1  egg yolk, beaten with
• 2  tablespoons water

Directions

1. Simmer pears in the water for 30-40 minutes until soft; drain, reserving liquid; once pears are cool, purée them in a food processor or blender, stopping food processor occasionally and scraping down its sides and adding enough reserved pear liquid to make a thick purée about the consistency of mashed potatoes.
2. Heat 1/2 cup of reserved pear liquid in saucepan; stir in sugar and cook for about 5 minutes until the sugar begins to caramelize; add pear purée, cinnamon, and cloves; stir well; remove from heat and allow to cool.
3. Meanwhile, whisk together flour and salt in a large bowl; cut in butter (using pastry cutter, two knives, or your fingers) until mixture resembles coarse crumbs; beat egg yolks with 3 tablespoons ice water then add to flour mixture; stir, adding more ice water a tablespoon at a time, until dough comes together and forms a ball; chill dough for 10 minutes.
4. Divide dough into 16 equal-sized balls; on a floured surface, roll each ball into a 3-4" circle; brush edge of each circle with the beaten egg yolk mixture and place 2-3 tablespoons of the filling in the center; fold dough over the filling to form a semi-circle; crimp edges with a fork to seal the empanada; pierce top of each empanada a couple times with fork and brush it with egg yolk mixture; carefully lift empanadas with a spatula and place onto a baking sheet that has been sprayed with no-stick cooking spray; bake at 350° for 30-40 minutes until empanadas are puffy and golden.
5. NOTE: For a simple and quick treat, make these empanadas using your favorite flavor of canned pie filling.