Guava and Cheese Empanadas

Fruit and cheese filling makes these empanadas a popular breakfast item and snack in the Spanish-speaking Caribbean. Light cream cheese keeps the fat content very low. Guava paste is a thick, ruby-colored, marmalade-like jelly used in many Latino desserts. The best brands are sold in flat cans in the canned fruit section of the supermarket. Or check the international section.

ingredients

4 ounces guava paste, cut into 36 small pieces
4 ounces low-fat cream cheese, cut into 36 small piece
Empanadas Dough

Empanadas Dough

2 cups flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon sugar
4 tablespoons lard
2 tablespoon butter
1 whole egg + 1 egg yolk
1/2 cup cold water (more or less till dough is at right consistency)

directions

1
Place 1 piece of guava paste and 1 piece of cream cheese in the center and fold the dough, in a half moon-shaped. Crimp the edges with a fork.
2
Fry till golden brown

Empanadas Dough

1
1. Sift the flour with salt, baking powder and sugar. Place half of the flour in a large mixing bol. Make a well in the center. Place the lard, butter, eggs, and water in the well. Use an electric or stand mixer to mix ingredients into a paste. Continue to mix, gradually adding more flour until all the flour is added. You may need to add water -- slowly in small quantities-- into dough reaches a soft, pliable consistency, like pie dough. Place the dough in a bowl, cover and refrigerate at least 30 minutes.
2
2. Prepare filling. Cut 4 ozs of cream cheese into 32 squares and do the same to the guava paste. (guava paste comes in sort of a brick)
3
3. Lightly floured work surface. Make little balls the size of a walnut from the dough. Roll each ball into a small circle, about the thickness of 2 pieces of paper. Guessing 1/16th of a inch. Place one square of cream cheese and one square guava in the center of the dough. (you could try any jam, see if that works)
4
4. Fold dough over to make a pocket. Trim with a pizza cutter to make a crescent shape. Crimp edges with a fork to seal. Gets easier the more you do it
5
5. Pan fry or deep fry till brown. Sprinkle with powdered sugar.