Empanadas are a Spanish and Portuguese stuff pastry. They can be sweet, filled for example with pumpkin, or savory, filled with meats.
I made some beef and corn empanadas that I only liked passably well. The dough is very hard and firm and holds the food inside well. However, I was looking for something a little more flaky. I also thought that the empanadas would have tasted better with a cheese sauce poured over them.
Recipe (Empanada Dough):
- 3 cups Flour
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup Cold Water
- 1 Egg
- 1 Egg White
- 1 Egg Yolk
- 1 tsp. Vinegar
- 3 tbsp. Shortening
In a bowl, beat the water, egg, egg white and vinegar together. Set aside. In a separate bowl, mix together the 3 cups of flour and salt. Cut the shortening into the flour mix with a pastry blender. Make a well in the center of the flour mix and pour the liquid ingredients from the first bowl into the center. Mix the wet and dry ingredients with a fork until it becomes stiff. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Knead it just until all the flour is incorporated and the dough is smooth. Wrap the dough in plastic and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.
Roll out dough and cut into 5" circles. Fill the dough with filling and fold over to make a semi-circle. Take a fork to crimp the edges together.
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Take the egg yolk and add a bit of water. Mix well to create an egg wash. Brush the egg wash on top of the sealed empanadas. Bake the empanadas for 20 to 25 minutes or until golden brown.
Baking Tips:
- You don't want to over fill your empanadas or else it will be difficult to seal them.
- Your filling shouldn't be to liquidy or it will run out while you are trying to seal them.
- If filling with a meat, it should be cooked before you put it into the dough shell.
- I thought the dough would be good filled with eggs, cheese, and ham to make a breakfast empanada.
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