This recipe was given to me by my mother-in-law. Even while it seems challenging at first, it’s actually a lot of fun once you get going! Enjoy!
| Prep Time: | 1 hr |
| Cook Time: | 15 mins |
| Additional Time: | 5 mins |
| Total Time: | 1 hr 20 mins |
| Servings: | 36 |
| Yield: | 36 empanadas |
Ingredients
- 3 cups white sugar
- 4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 pound butter, softened and cut into pieces
- 2 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese, softened and cut into pieces
- 2 (10 ounce) jars pineapple preserves
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C). Place sugar in a bowl.
- Place flour in a large mixing bowl. Begin working butter into flour slowly until fully incorporated. Repeat process gradually with cream cheese, kneading dough until uniform and no longer crumbly. Form into 1 inch balls, then flatten with a rolling pin to a thickness of 1/8 inch. (This may also be done by rolling out the entire amount of dough and cutting rounds with a biscuit cutter.)
- Place 1 tablespoon preserves on each dough center. Fold over, and seal with fingers or press to seal with a fork. Place cookies on a parchment paper-lined cookie sheet.
- Bake in the preheated oven for approximately 12 to 15 minutes. Cookie will remain white and should not be browned, and it is normal for some filling to leak from the cookie. When cookies are cool enough to handle, roll in sugar until evenly coated. Transfer to a platter to cool completely.
Nutrition Facts
| Calories | 292 kcal |
| Carbohydrate | 38 g |
| Cholesterol | 41 mg |
| Dietary Fiber | 1 g |
| Protein | 3 g |
| Saturated Fat | 9 g |
| Sodium | 115 mg |
| Sugars | 24 g |
| Fat | 15 g |
| Unsaturated Fat | 0 g |
Reviews
I really enjoy this recipe. I’ve made them several times, but I’ve found that using crushed pineapple works much better than using pineapple preserves.
The dough was super sticky I had to add 1/4 cup of flour …… For garnish I used powdered sugar instead of granulated & they taste great… Also baked & 350 degrees so they can be a little more crispy 🙂
It’s a classic in my household. I always get requests to bring these to gatherings. I have played with different fillings too. I tried cherry pie filling instead of the pineapple preserves, and it was a hit. I usually have to add an extra cup of flour to the dough and then use flour to keep it from sticking when I’m rolling it out.
I did it but didn’t come out with a lot of layers and it was very hard to put together even when I didn’t put the sugar with the flour. Could you tell me why?
These did not turn out good and were a lot of work.
I haven’t made these yet but I will try them. I think some of the reviewers were confused about the sugar. The sugar should NOT be incorporated with the dough mixture; it is only for garnishing when the cookies are done.
This is a very good recipe. It has definitely a cream cheese taste. I had to add approximately a cup of flour more because, like someone else mention it was too soft to roll. I also used one cup of sugar instead of three, maybe this is why the dough was difficult to work with. I also put some flour on the surface where I was rolling the dough and it was more manageable. Using real (unsalted) butter would definitively make a difference and if you carefully put them in the (real) cinnamon and sugar mixture right after they come out of the oven the sugar will stick easier to the empanadas. Use a spatula because they are very hot. I recommend using cookie cutters to make different shapes. You would have to make two of the same shape so that you can cover them after you put the preserve. I used hearts and teapot shapes because they were easier to close after putting the preserve. Make sure that you close them tightly using your fingers and smooth out the edges. If you make the pineapple preserve yourself they would be absolutely delicious. To prepare that cut out a fresh pineapple (without the centers) into very small pieces, add about a cup of sugar (for a small) pineapple, cover and refrigerate overnight. The next day bring to a boil for only one minute (the pineapple will loose its color if you leave it longer). Let it cool and drain the excess juice. You can also use “cajeta” (caramel) as the filling.
I like the recipe. The only thing I had to do was keep an extra cup of flour handy to knead in dough to prevent it from being sticky and easier to manage and roll. But other than that it is very good and easy. It’s a hit any time. I found that the sugar is used to roll the empanadas in after they are baked.
I’ve made this cookie several times and it never fails that at least one person will ask for the recipe. They are one of my daughter’s favorite cookies. Thanks so much for posting this recipe!
I really like this recipe!! It is very quick and easy to put together. Can the crust be too flakely??? I have tried it twice and they came out great. The second time I rolled them out a little thicker and cut them out with a biscuit cutter them rolled out each cut piece to a size easy to work with. Other fillings work well too such as mango. I did make some small changes. Instead of rolling in sugar after baked, I used a salt shaker filled with cinnamon and sugar to cover the finished product. I have also used a sifter to cover with powered sugar. Thanks for sharing a great recipe.
This is a very delicate pasty. I have used the same recipe in the past BUT did not add the sugar to the dough, instead try dredging the warm empanada in a mixture of granulated sugar and ground cinnamon. People will ask for the recipe, but keep it a secret and make it your unique christmas treat.
My daughter found this recipe and we didn’t figure out about the sugar until after our first batch. We also tried raspberry and peach preserves. They were delicious. The only change we made was instead of 15 min we baked for 17 min. We also brushed the edges with egg white.
I LOVE this recipe!!! Someone gave me these cookies last Christmas without the recipe!! She wouldn’t hurry up and get back to me with it, and I was so excited when I found this one! They are so super-simple easy to make. I make them almost daily during the holidays. Also good with strawberry. Just remember that the white sugar is actually powdered sugar. Happy baking!!
I tried the recipe as is and found the dough too sweet. Then I tried it again and put 1.5 cups of sugar, 1tsp baking powder, pinch of salt and 3 eggs. Wow! It is really good!! I have not only made the pineapple, but crab apple, pumkin, berry and many other fruit fillings. I also used the dough to make a pie shell and pies. Everyone that has tasted it has just loved it. Thanks for the recipe.
It was an absolute disaster. There is too much butter or cream cheese. The dough was very difficult to manage, even after refrigerating. Then it melted in to nothing (as if it dissolved) as it cooked.