• Cooking Time: 20 minutes
• Servings: 15 Empanadas, 4 puddings
• Preparation Time: 30 minutes
• Ingredients for the Leche Poleada:
• 2 cups of milk
• ½ cup of granulated, white sugar
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract (I use Mexican Vanilla extract, most flavorful and aromatic)
• 3 eggs, separated into yolks and whites
• 4 Tbsp. rice flour
• Ingredients for the Empanada Dough:
• 4, medium size, overly ripe (lot of brown on them) platanos
• 2 Tbsp. granulated white sugar
• A pinch of salt
• 2 tsp. of vanilla extract
• Approximately 1.5 cup rice flour - the amount can very based on the size of your platanos

1. To Create the Leche Poleada:
3. Beat the egg yolks with ¼ cup of sugar until thick and creamy.
4. Add rice flour into egg mixture and mix well. Set aside.
5. Place milk, remaining ¼ cup sugar, and vanilla extract into a saucepan and heat on medium high, stirring constantly, until mixture starts to boil, then turn off heat but keep pan on stove burner.
6. Add some of boiling mixture to egg mixture and stir hard and fast, this is to prevent eggs from scrambling when you add it to entire mixture.
7. Add entire egg/milk mixture to rest of milk mixture and let simmer for two minutes, all the while whisking fast.
8. Mixture should begin to harden suddenly. When this happens, immediately remove mixture from pan and pour into pudding glasses. Set one glass aside for the empanada filling.
10. To Make the Empanada Dough:
12. Slice the platanos in half and cut off their ends at each side as well.
13. Boil platano halves in hot water for about 20 minutes, or until skin starts to fall off
14. Remove platanos from water and immediately peel off and throw away skin.
15. Put boiled platanos into large bowl and mash with a fork.
16. To the platano mixture now add, while it is still hot, the sugar, vanilla extract, and salt.
17. Once mixed,add the rice flour and knead well with your hands
20. Now, Onto Assembling the Empanadas:
22. Add a little less than 1/4 cup of water to dough mixture and knead into dough to ensure dough is pliable and moist - if it cracks or falls apart, add more water until moist and pliable
23. Take a chunk of dough into your hands and mold into a ball shape
24. Then place ball between two small sandwich baggies
25. Using a small clear plate, press down on ball of dough so that you make a flat tortilla shape
26. Now fill half of the tortilla with poleada
27. Fold other half on top of half containing poleada so that you can make a crescent moon shape characteristic of the empanada
28. Do the same thing until you have used up all the dough, adding more water to dough if needed to make sure your balls are moist and without any cracks (cracks mean they are too dry).
30. Now It's Time to Fry the Empanadas:
32. Heat frying oil to 400 degrees either in a deep fryer or in a skillet on high if you don't have a fryer.
33. Once oil is hot, place a few empanadas in one at a time. Let sit for about 1 minute on each side, or until golden and toasted looking
34. When done, remove empanadas and place on a plates lined with paper towel so that the oil can drain off.
36. Once empanadas have cooled, place one on its side into each pudding glass and refrigerate for an after-dinner treat or just a sweet snack.
38. You can view the complete recipe, along with step-by-step pictures of the empanada-making process, on my blog at:
40. http://www.postresdelacipota.com/2011/08/poleada-pudding-with-empanada-dippers.html

I invented this recipe after learning how to make empanadas Salvadorenas from my husband, who grew up in El Salvador. Empanadas Salvadorenas are unique in that they are sweet and filled with cream, unlike other empanadas from South Smerica which are usually calzone like and filled with meat or veggies. This recipe uses the filling for the empanadas, the leche poleada, and makes a pudding which the empanadas can be dipped in. You can view the complete recipe, along with step by step pictures of the empanada-making process, on my blog at: http://www.postresdelacipota.com/2011/08/poleada-pudding-with-empanada-dippers.html Buen Provecho!