Empanadas de Piña de Comitán

Ingredients

Equipment Needed

• •Heavy 3-quart saucepan for the pineapple preserve
• •Rolling pin
• •Two baking sheets
• •Pastry brush
• •Fork or small crimping wheel

Instructions

1. 1

   Cook the pineapple

   Put the diced pineapple, piloncillo, canela, and lime peel in a heavy saucepan over medium heat. Stir until the piloncillo melts and the fruit begins to release its juice. Cook, stirring often, for 30 to 35 minutes, until the pineapple turns glossy amber and the syrup thickens. You are making a preserve, not a sauce.

2. 2

   Thicken the filling

   Remove the canela stick and lime peel. Stir in the lime juice. Add the cornstarch slurry and cook 2 to 3 minutes more, until the filling is thick enough that a spoon dragged across the pan leaves a clear path for a second. Spread the filling on a plate and cool completely. Warm filling melts the dough and opens the empanadas in the oven. Así se hace y punto.

   If your pineapple is very juicy, cook it longer before adding the cornstarch. Do not fix watery filling with more starch first. Reduce the fruit. That is where the flavor concentrates.
3. 3

   Mix the dough

   In a wide bowl, whisk the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt. Rub in the manteca with your fingertips until the mixture looks sandy with a few pea-sized bits left. Beat the eggs, milk, and vanilla together, then pour them into the flour. Mix with your hand until a soft dough forms. It should feel tender, not sticky. If dry flour remains, add milk one tablespoon at a time.

4. 4

   Rest the dough

   Turn the dough onto the counter and knead it 8 to 10 times, just until smooth. Do not work it like bolillo dough. This is pastry. Wrap it and rest at room temperature for 30 minutes. The rest lets the flour hydrate and keeps the circles from shrinking when you roll them.

5. 5

   Roll the circles

   Heat the oven to 375F. Line two baking sheets with parchment. Divide the dough into 16 equal pieces. Roll each piece into a ball, then roll into a 5-inch circle on a lightly floured surface. Keep the other pieces covered while you work so they do not dry at the edges.

6. 6

   Fill and seal

   Place 1 heaping tablespoon of cooled pineapple filling slightly off center on each dough circle. Fold the dough over into a half-moon and press the edges firmly with your fingertips. Crimp with a fork or make a small repulgue with your fingers. Do not overfill. A greedy empanada leaks, and then you blame the recipe. No.

7. 7

   Brush and bake

   Set the empanadas on the prepared baking sheets with space between them. Brush lightly with the egg yolk and milk mixture, then sprinkle with sugar. Bake for 22 to 26 minutes, rotating the pans halfway through, until the tops are pale gold and the sealed edges feel firm. They should not brown like cookies. Comitán panadería pastry stays gentle in color.

8. 8

   Cool before serving

   Let the empanadas rest on the baking sheets for 10 minutes, then move them to a rack. The filling is hottest at the center and needs time to settle. Serve warm or at room temperature with café de olla or Chiapas coffee. Recetas probadas y garantizadas.

Chef Tips

• •Use fresh pineapple when the market has ripe fruit that smells sweet at the stem end. If the pineapple is pale and hard, wait or use a good-quality canned pineapple packed in juice. That is a compromise, not an upgrade.
• •The piloncillo should taste dark and mineral, not like plain brown sugar. If you can buy it in cones from a Mexican market, do that. Pregúntale a las señoras del mercado.
• •Do not replace the manteca with butter and expect the same empanada. Butter gives a different aroma and a more fragile crust. Manteca gives the panadería texture of southern Mexico.
• •The filling must be cold before assembly. This is the mistake beginners make. Hot filling softens the fat in the dough and the seal fails.
• •These are not fried empanadas. They are baked pan dulce from Chiapas. Cada estado, su propia cocina.

Advance Preparation

• •The pineapple filling can be made up to 3 days ahead and refrigerated. Bring it to cool room temperature before filling the empanadas so it spreads without tearing the dough.
• •The dough can be mixed 1 day ahead and refrigerated tightly wrapped. Let it sit at room temperature for 30 to 45 minutes before rolling.
• •Baked empanadas keep well in a covered tin at room temperature for 2 days. Rewarm in a 300F oven for 6 to 8 minutes to refresh the pastry.

Frequently Asked Questions

Nutrition Information

1 serving (about 95g)