Yaya's Empanadas
- 5 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 cup margarine
- 1 tablespoon baking powder (heaping)
- 1 cup soymilk
- 1 tablespoon salt
- 1 egg
- 1 12 lbs ground meat
- 2 large white onions, diced
- 14 cup oil
- 1 dash salt
- 1 dash cumin
- 1 dash cayenne pepper
- 1 tablespoon flour
- 5 eggs, hardboiled (optional)
- 34 cup golden raisin (optional)
- 30 black olives (optional)
- Dough: Combine the 5 cups of flour and baking powder in a large bowl.
- Cut in the margarine until the mixture has a crumbly consistency.
- In a small pot boil the soy milk with 1 tablespoons salt.
- Pour the boiling liquid into the flour mixture and mix without kneading.
- Cover with a tea towel and let the dough rest for approximately 1/2 hour.
- It is very important to let the dough rest at this stage or you will not be able to roll it out.
- Filling: Heat the oil in a pot or a saucepan that has a tight-fitting lid.
- Add the ground meat, diced onion and spices.
- Stir.
- If using raisins they should be mixed in at this stage so that the flavours blend into each other during cooking.
- Cover, reduce heat, and let cook for approximately 15 minute or until the meat is cooked through and the onions are transparent.
- The mixture will release liquid during cooking.
- If the mixture looks dry (the liquid may have evaporated if the heat was too high, or due to an ill-fitting lid) you can add a couple fo tablespoons of water.
- Take off the stove and stir in 1 tablespoons of flour.
- Let cool.
- Assembly: Roll out dough using extra flour to avoid sticking.
- Cut out large circles.
- Fill each circle with approximately 1 heaping tablespoon of meat, 1 slice of hardboiled egg, and 1 black olive.
- Dab the perimeter of the dough with a tiny bit of water to help seal the edges.
- Folding: There are 2 ways to fold the empanada (if making 2 types of filling you can use the 2 different syle of folding the empanada to distinguish between them).
- Method A: Fold the circle in half to form a semi-circle.
- Pinch the edges all the way around the circle.
- Method B: Fold the circle in half to make a semi-circle.
- Fold over the rounded edge of the semi-circle to make a rectangle.
- Now fold over both sides edges of the dough to make an "envelope" shape.
- Press the corners.
- This option only seems more complicated than the first.
- It is best because it results in a more secure seal, although some juices inevitably escape during baking!
- Baking: Preheat oven to 350.
- Arrange empanadas on a greased cookie sheet.
- Brush with egg wash. Bake for about 30-35 minute or until they are golden.
- Let them rest for 5 minute before biting into them!
flour, margarine, baking powder, soymilk, salt, egg, ground meat, white onions, oil, salt, cumin, cayenne pepper, flour, eggs, golden raisin, black olives
Taken from www.food.com/recipe/yayas-empanadas-315837 (may not work)