For the Filling:

Begin by first preparing your filling because it will need to cool before adding it to your empanada dough.

Start by peeling 4 apples and removing the core.

Chop your apples into small bite size pieces.

To a pot over medium-low heat add 3 tablespoons of butter, the chopped apples, ½ teaspoon of salt, 1 teaspoon of cinnamon, and ¾ cup of sugar. Cook for about 10 minutes or until soft, but not mushy. (Note: Remember, they will continue to cook in the oven when we bake the empanada).

Next, in a small bowl mix 2 tablespoons of cornstarch with ½ tablespoon of water. Make sure there are no lumps and after the 10 minutes of cooking the apples add the cornstarch slurry to the pot with the apples. Mix well.

Cook for another 3-5 minutes or until your mixture has thickened.

Cool your apples for about 20 minutes before adding them to your dough.

For the Dough:

For the dough, start by creaming the butter and cream cheese together.

Add the flour to the butter and cream cheese mixture until well combined.

Let the dough rest for about 30 minutes.

Once your dough has rested and the filling has cooled, it’s time to roll out the dough.

Start by making dough balls about the size of your palm or 2 ounces each.

Use a tortilla press or a rolling pin to flatten your dough balls into a disc that is about 5 inches in diameter and ¼ in thick.

Take about 1 tablespoon of filling and place it slightly off-center. Do not overfill because it might spill out during baking.

Using a little bit of egg wash, moisten the edges of the flat dough.

Fold the dough over itself and press together with a fork to crimp the edges. Place it on a parchment-lined baking sheet about 1 inch apart from each other. Continue until you run out of dough.

At this point, you can either brush the tops of the empanadas with an egg wash or leave as is and you can roll in cinnamon sugar after baking.

Bake in a 350-degree oven for approximately 25-30 or until a light golden brown

If you are rolling them in cinnamon sugar, make sure it’s done as soon as they come out of the oven. In a bowl big enough, add the sugar and cinnamon, mix well. Add an empanada to the sugar mixture and toss to coat. Remove and leave them cool on a cooling rack.

Once it has cooled a bit enjoy!