Dough
Ingredients:
8 Tablespoons unsalted butter at room temp.
4 oz of cream cheese at room temp
1/4 cup of heavy cream
1 1/2 cups plus 2 Tablespoons all purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon coarse salt
Directions:
1. Process butter, cream cheese and cream with a mixer.
2. Add the flour and salt and make it into a ball.
3. Divide into 2 pieces and flatten between plastic wrap to chill for 30 minutes.
4. Roll it out and use a bowl 5 inches across to cut circles. It should make around 10 circles for empanadas.
Filling
Ingredients:
1 Tablespoon olive oil
1 small onion, choppped
1 small green bell pepper, chopped
1 pound ground beef
1 teaspoon cumin
3/4 cup of pimiento-filled green olives, sliced
3/4 cup raisins
1 teaspoon honey
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
Several dashes of hot sauce
2 large eggs, separated
Pastry rounds
Directions:
1. Cook your onions and peppers in your olive oil over medium high heat for 3-4 minutes. Raise the heat to high and add your beef. Cook until browned.
2. Add cumin and cook 1 more minute.
3. Stir in the olives, raisins, honey, salt, pepper, and hot sauce. Cook until the meat is golden brown, the liquid has evaporated, about 4 more minutes.
4. Cool the mixture completely and then stir in egg whites.
5. Preheat oven to 375 and line a baking sheet.
6. Place about 1/4 cup of the filling on one side of the dough circle. Wet the edges and fold over. Crimp with a fork and repeat until filling or dough is gone.
*If you want, freeze the empanadas at this point and you can make them in the future.
7. Place the empanadas in the fridge to chill for a few minutes. Poke twice with a fork and then brush with the egg yolk.
8. Bake for 20-25 minutes, until golden brown. Let rest 5 minutes before serving.
*If you want to make appetizers, just use a 3 inch bowl for the circles and 2 teaspoons of the filling.
I would make these everyday if I had the time. We each at 4 of them in about 15 minutes.
This has been the winner from this cookbook so far. The dough was flaky and had that cream cheese kick to it. The filling was delicious and spicy. We did leave out the olives and raisins, but I made add the raisins next time. (Don't even come knocking on my door, olives. You are not welcome in this household.) Like I said, we loved it and it was perfect for on the go dinner. I may make some to freeze so we can have an easy dinner some night.
Still to come, another chicken recipe from Hungry Men, and Chicken Satay from our Alton Brown cookbook.
