Ninfa's Banana Empanadas - Empanadas De Platanos

Total Time: 40 mins Preparation Time: 30 mins Cook Time: 10 mins

Ingredients

• Servings: 8
• 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon granulated sugar
• 4 tablespoons lard or 4 tablespoons shortening or 4 tablespoons butter, cut into small bits
• 3/4 cup warm water
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 egg yolk (optional)
• 8 -10 small fresh bananas, sliced
• 8 -10 tablespoons dark seedless raisins
• 8 -10 tablespoons chopped pecans
• 8 -10 teaspoons honey
• 1 egg , for sealing edges
• oil, for frying
• 1 tablespoon powdered sugar
• 1/2 tablespoon ground cinnamon
• 5 slices fresh bananas
• 1 teaspoon chopped pecans
• 1 teaspoon dark seedless raisins
• 4 1/2 ounces vanilla ice cream (1 scoop)
• 1 maraschino cherry
• 1/4 cup caramel sauce (available in grocery stores or make your own cajeta sauce)

Recipe

• 1 to make dough: measure flour and sugar into bowl; stir to mix.
• 2 add fat and thoroughly work it into the flour.
• 3 dissolve salt in water (mix with egg yolk, if using), and add to flour mixture; mix to form a medium-stiff dough.
• 4 knead for 4 to 5 minutes.
• 5 divide dough into about 8 to 10 equal parts, roll into balls, cover with plastic wrap and let sit for about 20 to 30 minutes to rest.
• 6 for each empanada, roll a ball of dough into a flat round, tortilla- shape, about 8 inches in diameter (use a tortilla press, if available).
• 7 place on a hot pan and cook briefly on one side.
• 8 on the center of the tortilla, with the cooked side to the inside, put bananas, raisins, pecans and honey.
• 9 with a small pastry brush, brush egg around the edges and fold it over to form a half-moon shape.
• 10 press around the edges to seal with a fork.
• 11 pour oil to a depth of 1 1/2 inches into a wide frying pan and heat oil to 350 degrees.
• 12 fry empanadas for 2 minutes, turning as necessary, until golden brown.
• 13 remove from oil and let drain.
• 14 sprinkle powdered sugar over top, then cinnamon.
• 15 garnish with banana slices, pecans, and raisins.
• 16 serve with a scoop of vanilla ice cream on the side, top with the cherry and accompany with a pitcher of warm cajeta (caramel) sauce.