Ingredients

• One 15-ounce can pumpkin puree
• 1 rotisserie chicken, skin discarded, meat shredded or chopped
• 1 stalk celery, finely chopped
• 1 clove garlic, grated on a rasp
• 2 teaspoons chopped fresh sage, 3 to 4 leaves
• 2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme, 10 to 12 sprigs
• 1 cup walnuts, toasted and chopped
• 2 scallions, finely chopped
• 1/2 cup dried cranberries, chopped
• 1 teaspoon Hungarian paprika
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1 1/2 cup shredded Swiss or gruyere
• 24 empanada wrappers, such as Goya discos
• 2 eggs
• Sunny's Creme Fraiche Dipping Sauce, to serve, recipe follows
• 8 ounces creme fraiche
• 3 scallions, cut into thirds
• 1 clove garlic, grated on a rasp
• 1 tablespoon hot sauce, such as Frank's Red Hot Sauce
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

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Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
2. For the filling: In a large bowl, combine the pumpkin puree, chicken, celery, garlic, sage, thyme, walnuts, scallions, dried cranberries and Hungarian paprika. Taste, making sure to get a bit of each ingredient in the sample. There should be a nice balance of sweet and savory; adding a nice pinch of salt can bring you to the right place. Stir before tasting again and adjust as needed. Once done with the salt, add a few grinds of black pepper. Add the cheese and stir to combine. Refrigerate until mix is firm and less sticky, about 20 minutes.
3. For the wrappers: Wrappers should be packed with paper between each. Remove one wrapper at a time along with the paper and roll and flatten each slightly with a rolling pin. If not packed with paper, roll on a sheet of wax paper. Cut each in half to create 48 half circles. Fill one side of each half with a heaping tablespoon of filling and fold the empty side over the filled side to create a triangle with a curved edge. Then, using the tines of a fork, close both open sides by pressing them together with the top 1/2 inch of the fork. Repeat for the rest.
4. In a small bowl whisk the eggs and 1 tablespoon water. Lightly brush one side of each bite and place the brushed side up on a parchment or nonstick aluminum foil-lined baking sheet. Bake until golden brown, 20 to 24 minutes. Serve with Sunny's Creme Fraiche Dipping Sauce.
5. In a food processor, add the creme fraiche, scallions, garlic and hot sauce. Taste the dip and season with a pinch of salt and a few grinds of black pepper. Blend again and taste, seasoning again if needed. Refrigerate at least 30 minutes before serving cold.