Today we hosted an office Friendsgiving. For those of you unfamiliar with Friendsgiving, it is the celebration of Thanksgiving with your friends. Each person prepares their favorite dish to share. You would be surprised what a group of food-minded individuals can create! There were some amazing dishes but the favorite Thanksgiving dish was the Pumpkin Caramel Empanadas. Below we have shared the recipe for the delicious Pumpkin Caramel Empanadas. It’s not too late to add this dish to your Thanksgiving menu!

Recipe:
1 (17.3 ounces or 1.1 pound) package puff pastry ("ready-to-bake sheets")
4 ounces cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup, plus 3 tablespoons granulated sugar, divided
3 tablespoons pureed pumpkin
1 egg, divided the yolk and whites
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 cup cinnamon baking chips
2 teaspoons cinnamon

Instructions
1. Take both frozen pastry sheets out of the package and cover with plastic wrap to thaw on your counter for about 30 minutes.
2. Cream together your cream cheese, 1/4 cup of granulated sugar, pureed pumpkin, egg yolk, and vanilla. Set aside.
3. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
4. After the puff pastry sheets have thawed, gently unfold them. Cut and divide each sheet into 6 pieces. Spoon about one and a half tablespoon of the pumpkin filling onto the bottom half of each piece of cut pastry. Drop a few pieces of cinnamon baking chips.
5. Brush the bottom half edge of the pastry with water with the tip of your finger. Fold over the top part over onto the filling. Pinch together and the water on the bottom half will help seal it together. (It doesn’t have to be perfect, as long as it is sealed.) Place on a baking sheet covered with a baking mat or parchment paper to prevent burning and sticking.
6. Whisk the egg white that you had set aside, and brush the tops and sides of each filled pastry. Sprinkle the cinnamon and sugar mixture on top, heavily.
7. Bake for 23-25 minutes or until golden brown on the bottoms and tops.
8. Serve and drizzle with your favorite caramel sauce.
9. Enjoy!