Another meal for the freezer . . . Empanadas!

Have you ever tried an empanada?   They are steaming little pockets of dough, filled with all sorts of savory fillings.   Apparently, cultures from all over the world have been making these for centuries.   I did a quick google search, and found that these little hot pockets are made in Bolivia, Haiti, Indonesia, Jamaica, Nigeria, France, Italy, the Philippines, Cuba, and all over South America.   They were thought to have originated in either Spain or Portugal, which explains how they have found their way into so many different cultures.

My second grader has been doing a big project on his family heritage, which culminated this week in a feast from around the world.   Each student brought a dish native to one of their countries of origin.   My father-in-law was born and raised in Argentina, and so Little Man wanted to make empanadas in his honor.

Empanadas are fun to make, and delicious!   They also freeze really well, and warm up in the oven in just a half hour.  There are endless possibilities. . .   add any type of meat you have on hand (chicken, leftover pot-roast, ham, etc.) along with some veggies and you have dinner. 

I tweeked and combined a few different recipes to make these Argentina-style empanadas.   This recipe makes 16 large empanadas, or 32 smaller ones (good size for kids).   Before you start, make sure you have the following ingredients:

Dough

8 cups flour

4 teaspoons baking powder

4 teaspoons salt

2 sticks cold butter cut into pieces

2 cups cold water

1 egg lightly beaten with 1 tablespoon water

Filling

1 cup finely chopped onions

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 cup water

1 lb. ground beef

4 tablespoons seedless raisins

1 teaspoon of paprika

1/2 teaspoon ground cumin 

1 teaspoon salt

ground pepper

4 hard cooked eggs, sliced into 16 wedges (or 32 if you are making smaller size)

12 pitted green olives, sliced

First, make the hard boiled eggs:  place eggs in a single layer in a saucepan.  Add enough cold water to cover the eggs.  Bring the water to a rolling boil.   Remove saucepan from heat, cover and let sit for 15-17 minutes .    

While your waiting on the eggs,  soak raisins in 1 cup boiling water for 10 minutes.  

You can start on the dough while the raisins are soaking.  To make the dough:  In a bowl, combine flour, baking powder and salt.  Cut in butter until crumbly.  

Add just enough cold water until dough comes together.   Divide dough into four chunks, and knead each chunk on a lightly floured surface 2-3 times to form balls.  

Cut each ball into four equal pieces (total of 16 pieces), cover with plastic, and let rise for 20 minutes.

At this point, check on the raisins.   If ten minutes has passed, drain them,  and check on the eggs.   If they are done stop the cooking by putting them in a a bowl with cold water and ice.   

Next, make the filling.  In a skillet, combine onions, olive oil, and 1 cup water and boil over high heat until the water is completely evaporated.  Add meat and cook until browned.  Stir in raisins, paprika, cumin, salt and pepper.  Set aside. 

Now, the fun part begins.  Go back to the dough, and shape each piece into a ball.   On a floured surface, roll out each dough piece into a 8” round (or 4”, if making smaller kid-sized empanadas).    Divide filling among each circle, spreading it out and leaving at least 1/2” of dough exposed around the edges.  Top filling with one piece of egg and green olives.  

Dip your finger in some water, and trace the outer edge of the dough to moisten it slightly.   Fold each round in half to form a crescent shape, and press the edges firmly together.  

Grab the corner edge of the crescent, and fold to make a triangle shape. Pinch down, and then take the pointed end of that fold and make another triangle .  Continue folding and pressing each fold, turning as you go, making a rope shape.   Alternately.  you can seal edges by crimping with a fork.

Arrange finished empanadas on a baking stone or baking sheet lined with parchment paper.  At this point you can freeze them on the baking sheet until firm about 2 hours and then wrap tightly and put in plastic bags.  Or, if you plan to make them right away, go on to the next step.

Paint each empanada top with the egg wash.   I highly recommend using a silicone brush for this step.   They make clean-up so much easier!


Bake fresh or frozen empanadas at 400 degrees for 30-40 minutes, or until golden brown,  rotating sheets 1/2 way through.