I am overjoyed, my mom is with me for a short visit. We have passed the days sipping coffee, walking at the park and talking food. She is my idol. In the kitchen she is queen. Every cherished childhood food memory has included my mom and one of her flavorful plates of food. Her patience, her ease feeding large crowds, the creativity of shaping a few ingredients into something extraordinary..she’s talented I tell you and I hope to be half the cook she is one day.
Today as we walked at the park our conversation turned to empanadas. I can clearly remember her sitting at the table pinching the dough of her famous pumpkin empanadas. We huddled around her to watch, listen and await for our little piece of dough she would pinch off with her steady hand. We rolled our little dough, slapped it, made long worms, shaped it then quickly became bored as she retrieved the first batch of empanadas from the oven. As we sat enjoying our treat, she would continue shaping her empanadas, enough for my father’s hearty appetite, plenty for our neighbor, a few for her brother and a little stash she would freeze for those unexpected mid year cravings.
As we walked I suggested we try something different, a new combination of flavors with a dough not like hers at all. She agreed excitedly as she relishes the opportunity to spend time in the kitchen. We began after dinner, in my temporary apartment kitchen. As we sat around rolling, filling, pinching, egg washing and dusting the empanadas we laughed, she shared stories and my girls huddled around us. Before they even asked, she pinched a piece of dough for them, set them aside to their task and gave me a little smile. I am overjoyed. Have a wonderful weekend!
A twist. A infusion. A risk. A treat! A empanada dough made with cream cheese, filled with Nutella and Queso Asadero. Dusted with cinnamon sugar and baked until golden brown. A savory/sweet empanada combination of warm cheese that oozes together with chocolate hazlenut spread.
Queso Asadero ~The traditional use for this mild, chewy cheese is a filling for chiles rellenos and a popular Mexican dish called chile con queso. In Qaxaca trompillos (wild berries) are used in the cheese making process and this imparts a distinctive flavor not found in Northern Mexico or in the U.S. versions.
Substitutes: Teleme, Muenster, Jack, Fontina from gourmet sleuth .com
Empanadas de Nutella y Queso
by Sweet Life
by Vianney Rodriguez
makes 15- 20 empanadas or 30 empanaditas
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dough
8 ounces of cream cheese, at room temperature
1 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1/2 tsp sea salt
1 egg lightly beaten with 1 tsp water
1 tbsp cinnamon
1 tbsp sugar
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filling
nutella
queso asadero 16 ounces, cut into small cubes
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Preheat oven to 375 degrees and lightly grease a baking sheet.
In a mixer bowl combine cream cheese and butter until well blended.
Scrap down sides to fully incorporate.
Add the flour and salt. Mix well.
Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and gently knead for about 1 minute.
Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 20 minutes.
On a lighlty floured surface, roll out dough to 1/4 inch thick.
Divide dough and roll out each piece to 1/8 inch thick.
Using a glass, circle cookie cutter or knife cut desired rounds.
Larger for empanadas or smaller circles for empanaditas.
Place a cube of cheese in middle of dough and top with Nutella
Fold over dough and seal or crimp tightly with fingers or fork.
Arrange on baking sheet and brush tops with egg wash.
Combine sugar and cinnamon and sprinkle over empanadas.
Bake 12- 17 minutes, rotate pan if uneven baking.
I just made these to take to the office for our holiday party. My first “test” batch came out not so pretty, but boy were they tasty! I didn’t form a good seal, so the cheese spilled out as well as some of the nutella, but the baked cheese actually tasted awesome. I used monterey jack cheese instead of the queso asadero (couldn’t find at the store). I think my favorite thing about these treats is the dough–it came out buttery, and flakey. Loved it. Thanks for the story and for the recipe!
Hi Jenn ~~ I am so happy you enjoyed them. Someday in my rush I do not seal them correctly either, LOL! Monterrey jack, what a great idea – I’ll have to give that a try next time. Oh yes, this is my go-to dough for most of my empanadas. Gracias for all the lovely compliments,made my day!
Those look delicious! What a creative way to use Nutella! I would love to try these with some Fontina! Good luck in the challenge!
What a lovely story. And sinful empanadas! Make sure your mom comes back soon! 😉
These are my kind of empanadas…delightful 🙂
The more I scrolled down the page the more impressed I became. This might be my favorite recipe from your site yet. Sounds like an excellent treat.
These are the coolest empanadas ever! You rock 🙂
PS – Ta for the very sweet gesture that arrived today. THANKS!
hugs, Devaki @ weavethousandflavors
Oh, yum! Love those ingredients. Keep enjoying your time with your mom.
Paz
Ahh…now I get how you have such a nice relationship with your daughters…it was the warmth you shared with your Mom all along ;o)
Your Moms’ together with your skills in the kitchen have rewarded us well Bonnie…yummy recipe indeed.
Did I mention how thrilled I am about the fact that this treat is baked!
Book marked for sure!!!
Ciao for now and enjoy the rest of your fortunate time with Mommy ;o)
Wow, this looks soooo good.
Wow, this looks sooooo good.
Oh yes! This is RIGHT up my alley! I lurve empanades and anything SWEET/Chocolaty wrapped up in some delicious dough. Nicely done!
I imagine the empanada dough must be amazingly tender with the cream cheese and butter. Excited to try these little treats!
Just submitted this beautiful empanada recipe to stumble upon. Nutella filling??!! Too good to be true 🙂
That hit all the flavor note. Nutella makes everything taste better. And mom made stuff are always good.
Your mum and you are so lucky to have each other 🙂
Love these empanadas – anything with Nutella, I just can’t say “no” to!!
I am so glad that your mom came to visit…and I’m so glad that you shared this stroke of genius! You are such a talented and creative baker. I can’t wait to give these a try. Thank you so much for sharing!
What a creative combination! And I always thought empanadas couldn’t possibly get any better! Completely delicious. I like how you weaved your own memory into it. Thanks for entering Dessert Wars.
Hey Bonnie! Your’e writing is so nice here. I could really picture a couple of sweet ladies (mother & daughter) in the park all happy about going home to make something delicious. Thanks for that. It was nice to read while sipping my coffee…
Oh, and these do look wonderful. I love the idea of Nutella and cream cheese. Que rico;-)!
Hi Bonnie!
Happy Belated New Year! I saw your post on Nutella nad just had to comment 😉
First Nutella with anything is amazingness, non? YAY!
And I’d have to agree, some of the best memories I have of my mother is when she’s busy in the kitchen doing her thing. I have yet to master cooking beyond four only because whenever we do have more than four people, we have people over for hot pot 😉
xoxo
The love you have for your mom is absolutely wonderful. I was so drawn into your post, I was almost there with you.
🙂 Mandy
I know your mom is so proud of you, the smile says it all… what a twist for sure… lovely
So creative… your photos of the nutella globs make me want to eat a spoonful out of our cupboard!
Your empanadas look and sound delicious. Enjoy the rest of your moms visit 🙂
Oh these are just sinful! I’ve been told that I should stay away from sugar, but seeing these nutella and cheese empanadas makes me want to jump into a vat of chocolate.
This sounds yummy! Yes, traditions of the past, carried to one’s own children do bring such joy, don’t they? There is nothing like baking with your mom or your daughter… it is an opportunity to pass a piece of oneself on through the generations yet to come.
🙂
Valerie
I love the way you write about your mom. I feel the same way–my mom is my idol and she is the queen of any kitchen she steps foot into. And even though it stresses her out to cook for everyone at Sunday family dinner, she does it anyway. And with such grace!
I really enjoyed this post 🙂
Happy weekend!
YUM! These are amazing…I want a few 😀
Mercy. Uncle. Whatever works to get one of these. They look and sound tremendous. Nice to spend time with mom. That truly is what it is all about.
Cheers! Scott
You and your mom sound like quite the forces to be reckoned with in the kitchen! I mean, Nutella AND queso? I’m in heaven. if you have any extra and you want to send them to NYC…I could totally take them off your hands!
I hope you and your mom have a fun visit!
Reading this, I almost felt like I was sitting at your kitchen table also, waiting for your mom to hand me a piece of dough. What wonderful memories you have of past empanada making, and now you are creating new memories for your girls.
Kathleen
What a lovely time to spend with your mom! These are STUNNING!!! AMAZING!!
oh wow, this is so creative -I’m just drooling here over these!
Awestruck with those delicate Nutella filled goodies. You are a creative and very professional baker. Love the delicate and delightful pictures of the Empanadas.
Those must be delicious! Nutella makes all things irresistible…
Cheers,
Rosa