Muy Sabroso

So to start off our month of tasty finger foods and savory appetizers, here's a little something we came up with that we hope you'll enjoy.  We used minimal seasoning, relying instead on the natural flavor of the sweet potatoes to carry the taste.

Sweet Potato-Black Bean Empanadas

1 large can (1 lb+) sweet potatoes
1 can (15 oz) black beans
2 packs of 2 pre-made pie crusts (rolled, not panned)
2 tsp ground cumin
Water
Butter
Salt

Drain the can of black beans and mix in cumin. Set aside.

Puree the canned sweet potatoes until mostly smooth, then add the black beans and mix together.

Lay out the pie crust and using a 3” biscuit cutter or round cookie cutter, cut out circles. By reusing and rolling out the scraps you should be able to get 12 per crust (for a total of 48).

Drop a dollop of sweet potato-black bean mixture in the middle of each circle. Dip your finger in water and trace it around the edge of the pastry circle.

Fold over, pinching together first the top middle then each of the ends (this keeps the mixture from squooshing out the sides), then pinch the rest of the edge together.

Melt the butter and brush the top of each empanada, then sprinkle with salt. Place on a lightly greased cookie sheet and bake at 350° for about 15-20 minutes or until the crust turns golden brown.

Remove from over and cool on rack.  Can be served at room temperature.  These are very hearty and filling little snacks.