Empanada Shells Recipes

EMPANADA DOUGH

Steps:

• Whisk together the 2 cups flour, salt, and sugar in a bowl until evenly blended; make a well in the center of the mixture. Whisk the egg yolk and water together in a small bowl until smooth; pour into the well and mix to form a stiff dough. Transfer the dough to a lightly floured surface and knead until smooth and elastic, about 8 minutes.
• Roll the dough with a rolling pin until thin, sprinkling with flour to prevent from sticking. Brush with melted butter and roll it like a jelly roll. Cut with a sharp knife into 1 1/2-inch slices. Roll each piece into a circle and fill with about 1 tablespoon filling. Fold over into half moons and seal.

EMPANADA DOUGH

Steps:

• Sift flour with salt into a large bowl and blend in butter with your fingertips or a pastry blender until mixture resembles coarse meal with some (roughly pea-size) butter lumps.
• Beat together egg, water, and vinegar in a small bowl with a fork. Add to flour mixture, stirring with fork until just incorporated. (Mixture will look shaggy.)
• Turn out mixture onto a lightly floured surface and gather together, then knead gently with heel of your hand once or twice, just enough to bring dough together. Form dough into a flat rectangle and chill, wrapped in plastic wrap, at least 1 hour.

EMPANADA DOUGH

Steps:

• In a food processor, combine flour, cornmeal, sugar, and salt. Add shortening; process 5 seconds. Add yolks and 3/4 cup water; process until dough is very soft, about 5 minutes. Turn out onto a lightly floured work surface; knead until smooth. Cover; let rest 30 minutes before using.

AUTHENTIC EMPANADA PASTRY DOUGH

Steps:

• Combine sifted flour and butter in the bowl of a food processor; pulse until crumbly. Add egg and pulse until just combined.
• Dissolve salt in warm water. Add gradually to the food processor and pulse until a soft dough ball forms. Turn ball into a bowl and wrap tightly with plastic wrap. Refrigerate at least 30 minutes.
• Dust a work surface with flour and knead dough for 1 minute. Roll out thinly and cut into discs. Freeze discs for later use or use right away for your favorite sweet or savory empanadas.

BEEF EMPANADITAS

Steps:

• Heat oven to 350°F. Line cookie sheet with cooking parchment paper. In medium bowl, stir Bisquick mix and hot water until stiff dough forms. Let stand 10 minutes.
• Meanwhile, in 8-inch skillet, cook beef over medium-high heat 5 to 7 minutes, stirring occasionally, until thoroughly cooked; drain. Stir in salsa, raisins, olives, cumin and cinnamon; set aside.
• Place dough on surface sprinkled with Bisquick mix; gently roll in Bisquick mix to coat. Shape into a ball; knead 10 times. Roll dough into 13-inch round. With 3-inch round cutter, cut dough into rounds. Gather dough scraps together and reroll to 1/8-inch thickness. Cut to make 20 rounds.
• Spoon 2 to 3 teaspoons beef mixture onto center of each dough round. Fold dough in half over filling; press edges firmly with fork to seal. Place 1 inch apart on cookie sheet.
• In small bowl, stir egg and 1 tablespoon water to combine; brush mixture over tops of each empanadita. Bake 14 to 16 minutes or until golden brown.

BASIC EMPANADAS

Steps:

• Make the filling: In a 12-inch skillet over medium-high, cook meat until no longer pink, breaking it up into small pieces, 5 to 7 minutes.
• Add onion and jalapenos; cook until soft, 5 minutes. Stir in chili powder and tomatoes. Cook over medium until mixture has thickened, 12 to 15 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Fold in cilantro. Let cool.
• Make the dough: In a bowl, combine flour, baking powder, and salt. Using your fingers, cut in butter until mixture is crumbly. Add just enough cold water so dough comes together.
• Form empanadas. If desired, freeze on a baking sheet until firm, 2 hours. Wrap tightly in plastic; freeze in plastic bags.
• To bake fresh or frozen empanadas, preheat oven to 400 degrees. Place on parchment-lined baking sheets. Brush tops with egg wash, avoiding crimped edges. Bake until golden brown, rotating sheets halfway through, 30 to 40 minutes.

EMPANADA SHELLS

Steps:

• 1. FOR THE FILLING: Process bread and 2 tablespoons chicken broth in food processor until paste forms, about 5 seconds, scraping down sides of bowl as necessary. Add beef, ¾ teaspoon salt, and ½ teaspoon pepper and pulse until mixture is well combined, six to eight 1-second pulses.
• 2. Heat oil in 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add onions and cook, stirring frequently, until beginning to brown, about 5 minutes. Stir in garlic, cumin, cayenne, and cloves; cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add beef mixture and cook, breaking meat into 1-inch pieces with wooden spoon, until browned, about 7 minutes. Add remaining ½ cup chicken broth and simmer until mixture is moist but not wet, 3 to 5 minutes. Transfer mixture to bowl and cool 10 minutes. Stir in cilantro, eggs, raisins, olives, and vinegar. Season with salt and pepper to taste and refrigerate until cool, about 1 hour. (Filling can be refrigerated for up to 2 days.)
• 3. FOR THE DOUGH: Process 1 cup flour, masa harina, sugar, and salt in food processor until combined, about two 1-second pulses. Add butter and process until homogeneous and dough resembles wet sand, about 10 seconds. Add remaining 2 cups flour and pulse until mixture is evenly distributed around bowl, 4 to 6 quick pulses. Empty mixture into large bowl.
• 4. Sprinkle vodka or tequila and water over mixture. Using hands, mix dough until it forms tacky mass that sticks together. Divide dough in half, then divide each half into 6 equal pieces. Transfer dough pieces to plate, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate until firm, about 45 minutes or up to 2 days.
• 5. TO ASSEMBLE: Adjust oven racks to upper- and lower-middle positions, place 1 baking sheet on each rack, and heat oven to 425 degrees. While baking sheets are preheating, remove dough from refrigerator. Roll each dough piece out on lightly floured work surface into 6-inch circle about ? inch thick, covering each dough round with plastic wrap while rolling remaining dough. Place about 1/3 cup filling in center of each dough round. Brush edges of dough with water and fold dough over filling. Trim any ragged edges. Press edges to seal. Crimp edges of empanadas using fork.
• 6. TO BAKE: Drizzle 2 tablespoons oil over surface of each hot baking sheet, then return to oven for 2 minutes. Brush empanadas with remaining tablespoon oil. Carefully place 6 empanadas on each baking sheet and cook until well browned and crisp, 25 to 30 minutes, rotating baking sheets front to back and top to bottom halfway through baking. Cool empanadas on wire rack 10 minutes and serve.