Mexican Chocolate and Banana Empanadas

Born in Venezuela, Chef Lorena Garcia is a celebrity chef featured on  Univision, Utilisima, and Telemundo tv networks.  She specializes in authentic Latin cuisine infused with international influences, is adored by viewers around the world for her charismatic personality and contagious enthusiasm.  Lorena is the chef owner of Food Café and Elements Tierra restaurants, both located in Miami’s Design District, in addition to being the chef spokesperson for Nestlé.

In today’s chef recipe, she shares with us an a dessert recipe for Mexican Chocolate and Banana Empanadas, featuring Nestle’s delicious Abuelita Mexican chocolate.  Abuelita, if you haven’t tried it, is a yummy Mexican chocolate infused with cinnamon.  We found it in the Hispanic food section of our regular grocery store.

Mexican Chocolate and Banana Empanadas
Chef Lorena Garcia

12 (one 11.6-ounce package) frozen store-bought empanada dough discs, defrosted (These you should be able to find in most grocery stores, if not a Mexican grocer should have them. We used Goya brand.)
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
3 tablets (90 grams each) NESTLÉ ABUELITA Chocolate, broken into pieces
3 tablespoons heavy cream
1 package (8 ounces) cream cheese, at room temperature
3 small ripe bananas, chopped
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
Sweetened whipped cream or vanilla ice cream

Directions:
Preheat oven to 375° F. Grease a large baking sheet.
Combine the sugar and cinnamon in a small bowl; reserve.
Heat the Abuelita chocolate and cream in small saucepan over medium-low heat, stirring frequently, until chocolate is completely melted and smooth; remove from heat.  Beat cream cheese and melted Abuelita chocolate until mixed well.  Fold in chopped bananas.
Place 2 heaping tablespoons Abuelita mixture in center of each pastry disc. Wet edges with water; fold in half and crimp edges with fork. Place empanadas on prepared baking sheets; brush lightly with oil and sprinkle with the cinnamon sugar mixture.
Bake for 25 to 30 minutes or until golden. Serve warm with whipped cream.