Ube Macapuno Empanada

makes twelve 4-inch empanadas

INGREDIENTS

For the filling

• 1 cup halayang ube
• 1/2 cup macapuno

For the dough

• 1-1/2 cup all purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 6 tablespoons chilled unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
• 1 large egg, beaten
• ice water

For the assembly

• 1 egg separated, egg white for sealing and egg yolk for brushing
• 2 tablespoons milk

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Combine halayang ube and macapuno in a bowl and set aside.
2. Sift the flour and salt into a separate bowl. Cut the chilled butter into the flour with a pastry blender or work it in lightly with the tips of your fingers until the mixture resembles small peas. Stir the egg into the flour until fully incorporated. Pinch off a small handful of dough. If it does not hold together, sprinkle the dough with ice water. Blend the water gently into the dough until it just holds together.
3. Place the dough out onto a clean lightly floured work surface and pat it into a disk about half an inch thick. Wrap the disk in plastic wrap and refrigerate until firm, at least an hour or up to two days.
4. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
5. Place dough on a clean lightly floured work surface. Roll out the dough to about 1/8-inch thick. Using a 4-inch round cookie cutter, cut the dough into circles, saving the scraps. Gather the scraps and roll them again. Transfer the cut dough to a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. The dough can be rolled out and cut into circles ahead of time. Wrap them tightly in plastic wrap and refrigerate up to a day ahead.
6. Cup the dough in one hand and place roughly a tablespoon of halayang ube and macapuno into its center. With a pastry brush or with the tip of your finger, lightly dab the edges of the dough with egg whites. Fold the dough to form a half moon, enclosing the filling. Gently seal the edges of the dough and crimp them decoratively with the tines of a fork.
7. In a small bowl, whisk together the egg yolks and milk. Brush the tops of each empanada with the egg wash. Bake until golden brown, about 20 to 25 minutes. Let them cool a little before serving them warm.

Halayang Ube Recipe, makes four cups halayang ube

INGREDIENTS

• 2 pounds frozen ube
• 1 14-ounce can condensed milk
• 1 12-ounce can evaporated milk
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup salted butter, melted

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Cook with fresh ube whenever possible. Boil purple yam until tender. Let them cool then peel and cut into smaller cubes. Grate in a food processor. When cooking with frozen ube, choose frozen whole over frozen grated yams. Thaw frozen ube completely, drain, cut into smaller cubes and grate in a food processor.
2. Combine ube, condensed milk, evaporated milk, sugar, and butter in a large pan and cook over medium to low heat, stirring constantly. Cook until ube thickens and starts to pull away from the pan.

Credits to: blog.junbelen.com/2012/08/22/u-is-for-ube-and-how-to-make-ube-macapuno-empanadas