Dulce Delicious Apple Empanadas

Dice your apples. Don't worry about the peel. It adds plenty of great fiber and becomes soft and tender once cooked. In a medium saucepan, saute apples for 15 minutes until tender, but not falling apart. Stir in vanilla, cinnamon, allspice, nutmeg, and salt. Remove from heat and allow to cool completely. Once cool, stir in dulce de leche and set aside. *PROTIP: Check out our easy peasy Instant Pot Dulce De Leche recipe (link below). It's JUST as good as store bought (or dare we say, better?) and takes minimal effort for MAXIMUM flavor! Roll out pie dough on a lightly floured surface, and using a 3” cutter, cut into rounds. Reroll dough scraps and roll out to 1/8”, a cut again. Add 1 ½ to 2 tbs of the mixture to the center of the dough circles. Fold dough in half, and crimp edges, or use a “tuck and roll” technique, rolling and tucking the edge into and under itself, one small piece at a time(watch our video to see how). Refrigerate pies for about 10-20 minutes before baking. In a small bowl, whisk egg yolk and water together, then brush onto the tops of the empanadas. Sprinkle generously with sugar, and bake for 15-20 minutes until deeply golden and crispy. Remove and allow to cool. Top with additional dulce de leche, or even ice cream, to serve. PROTIP: If you want to make these delicious hand pies even more authentic, you’ll want to deep fry them. Skip the egg wash and the sugar, and gently place two pies at a time in a large pot with enough oil to cover them heated to 375 degrees F. Let them fry for about 5 minutes, making sure to turn them once, and then let them drain on a paper towel or cooling rack. Dust with sugar once finished cooking.