Candied Jalapeños Confuse Me A Bit
What do you do with a gift of candied jalapeños?
Around Christmas time, a gift of candied jalapeños appeared in my refrigerator, and there they sat. Waiting. And waiting. What do I do with them? I had all my holiday menus planned, and the jar kept inching its way to the back of the food theatre that is my fridge. Finally, after Spring Break, I caught sight of them again. I really should put those to use.
Maybe it’s because candied jalapeños are a bit confusing for me. Are they savory or sweet? I am sure I will revisit this post and give you a recipe for candied jalapeños in the future. They are hot, sweet, tangy and delicious, but I can never find the right time to serve them. They always seem to dominate the palate, and never worked their way into a cheese tray, or a corn muffin, as they should. Oh well.
Pear Jalapeño Empanadas are Right on Target
I do think mixing them with pears was the right choice. Pears make friends with everyone. ( I could make a joke about pear shaped figures here, but it’s Sunday evening, and I’m too tired to be clever at the moment. Just think a bit, and something funny will probably pop into your mind. Ho hum.) The crisp clean sweetness of the pear calmed the heat of the jalapeños nicely, and the buttery dough of the empanada gives just the right amount of richness.
I would serve these empanadas with a chilled pink zinfandel, maybe some pasta de membrillo (quince paste) a fine aged manchego, some roasted salted Marcona almonds, and maybe even some cold thinly sliced lamb or beef tenderloin. Maybe switch to a white burgundy if you are going to add the red meats. I immediately took my freshly baked batch on a picnic, and none returned home with me.
(What a lazy post. I should have tried harder to make a pear joke. Forgive me.)
Fresh, firm pears are the best for cooking
Simply saute the pear bits with lemon, sugar and butter
A gift from Christmas, and its time to enjoy them
Freshly Baked
Pear and Candied Jalapeño Empanadas
Candied Pear and Jalapeño Empanadas are great appetizers for lazy Sunday picnics
- Prep Time: 30 min
- Cook Time: 20 min
- Total Time: 50 minutes
- Yield: 12 empanadas 1x
- Category: Appetizer
- Cuisine: Latin Inspired
Ingredients
1 pkg. frozen empanada crusts (12ct)
1 tbsp. butter (14gr)
2–3 regular sized pears, peeled, cored and chopped
1/4 cup sugar (50gr)
1 /4 tsp ground cinnamon (1gr)
Juice of 1 lime
1/4 cup candied jalapeños, finely chopped (26gr)
Instructions
Remove the empanada crusts from the freezer, and thaw for 30 minutes before use. Heat the oven to 400°F/204°C.
Meanwhile, is a medium skillet, heat the butter. Add the pear bits, and saute for 2 minutes. Add the sugar, cinnamon and lime juice, and cook for another minute. Stir in the candied jalapeños and remove from the heat.
Line a baking pan with parchment paper. Fill the empanada crusts with the filling, fold over and pinch the edges together. Bake for 20 minutes. Cool on a wire rack.
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