Golden Empanada Dough Food

MASA PARA EMPANADAS: EMPANADA DOUGH

Steps:

• Gather the ingredients.
• Sift the flour into a bowl. Stir in the salt and sugar.
• Cut the butter and lard (or shortening) into the flour mixture with a pastry cutter or with 2 butter knives until fairly well blended.
• Whisk the egg yolks with 3/4 cup water. Stir in 1/2 cup of the water-egg mixture, a little bit at a time, until the dough starts to come together smoothly, adding more as needed.
• Keep kneading the dough, adding more of the water-egg mixture as needed (you may need a few tablespoons extra of water), until the dough is smooth. The dough will seem a bit shaggy until it has thoroughly chilled.
• Cover the dough with plastic wrap and refrigerate for about 1 hour. When ready to use, the dough should be soft and smooth, not elastic. If you poke the dough with your finger, the indentation should remain.
• Turn the dough out onto a floured surface and roll into desired thickness before cutting.
• Use in your desired recipe and enjoy.

EMPANADAS

Steps:

• For the empanada dough: Combine the flour, baking powder, sugar and salt in a large bowl. Cut in the lard with a pastry blender or 2 knives until the mixture resembles coarse cornmeal.
• In a separate bowl, beat the egg and then whisk in the stock. Add the egg mixture to the flour mixture and knead until a dough forms. Cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
• Meanwhile, for the empanada filling: In a large nonstick skillet, heat 1 tablespoon olive oil over medium heat. Add the ground beef and garlic salt and cook until the beef is cooked completely. Drain the grease and set the beef aside.
• In the same pan, heat the remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil. Add the tomato paste, vinegar, cumin, chili powder, oregano, seasoned salt, garlic, bell peppers and onions. Cook until softened, 8 to 10 minutes. Add the beef and let them love each other with fire over low heat for about 5 more minutes. The mixture should be moist but not dripping wet. Now you are ready to fill the empanadas.
• Lightly flour a work surface and roll out the dough to 1/4 inch thick. Cut out 4-, 5- or 6-inch rounds, depending on how large you prefer. Add some meat filling to each empanada and fold the dough over in half to enclose the filling. Use a fork to press and seal the edges closed. You can refrigerate the uncooked empanadas for up to 3 hours.
• Heat the oil in a deep fryer to 350 degrees F. Fry the empanadas until golden brown, 6 to 7 minutes.
• For the aioli dip: Mix together the mayonnaise, adobo sauce and lime juice. (The flavor will enhance if it sits in the refrigerator.)

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.

GOLDEN EMPANADA DOUGH

Steps:

• For the dough: Put flour, salt, sugar and lard in large mixing bowl.
• With your hands or an electric mixer, mix this mixture very well.
• Add the egg and mix well.
• Dissolve the yeast in the water and then add to the mixture.
• (If the dough is too dry, add enough water to make it manageable).
• Roll out dough to about 1/4th.
• inch thick.
• Cut circles, about 4 inches wide.
• For the filling: (see recipe for Euphelia's Meat Empanadas).
• Fill each circle with meat mixture.
• Fold and press edges firmly together.
• (You may use a bit of water to help seal the edges-- some people use beaten egg).
• Cut edges with pinking shears to help seal.
• Poke the little pie with a fork once or twice.
• Deep fat fry in oil or shortening until golden brown.

EMPANADA DOUGH

Steps:

• Mix the salt and flour in a large bowl. Rub the lard into the flour mixture with the tips of your fingers until it begins to resemble pea-sized pebbles. Next, add the ice water and mix until just combined. Press into a 6 inch disk and wrap in plastic. Chill in the refrigerator for at least one hour.
• When you are ready to prepare the empanadas, pre-heat the oven to 400 degrees. Remove the dough from the refrigerator and cut the disk into 4 chunks. Flour your work surface and roll one out with a floured rolling pin until it is 1/8 of an inch thick. You should be able to cut 6 four-inch rounds out of each (freehand with a sharp paring knife if you don't have a pastry cutter).
• Place a small amount of cold filling in the middle of each round, brush the edges with a bit of egg wash, fold into a half-moon, and crimp as desired -- some people fold the edges decoratively while others simply crimp with the tines of a fork.
• Place the prepared empanadas on a parchment-lined baking sheet and place into the preheated oven. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until the crust is blistered and well-browned.

EMPANADA DOUGH

Steps:

• In a large bowl sift together flour and salt.
• Blend in the cold butter cubes using you fingers or a pastry blender until the mixture resembles coarse meal (the mixture should be pea-size).
• In a small bowl whisk together egg, ice water and vinegar.
• Add to the flour mixture, stirring with a fork just until incorporated (the mixture will look somewhat lumpy).
• Transfer the mixture onto a LIGHTLY floured surface.
• Gather the dough together with your hands and gently knead with the heel of your hand once or twice (just enough to bring the dough together, do not overwork the dough or it will be tough!).
• Form the dough in a semi-flat ball or rectangle.
• Cover the dough tightly with plastic wrap and chill for 1 hour or up to 8 hours.
• Roll out the dough, then cut into desired size circles.
• Fill with favorite fillings then close the dough over the filling as you would a pierogi.
• Brush the ends with egg wash then seal together with a fork.
• Bake as desired.

EASIEST EMPANADA "DOUGH" EVER

Steps:

• Adjust oven rack to center.
• heat oven to 400 degrees.
• or heat deep fryer to 450 degrees.
• Separate biscuits onto a flour or cornmeal-coated work surface.
• roll dough flat( about a 5-inch circle ), use 2 Tbs. of (desired)filling and leave a 1/2-inch border.
• Place on cookie sheets lined with parchment paper.
• (At this point, can be frozen up to 2 weeks.)
• Brush tops with oil(or egg).
• Bake until golden.
• 16 to 20 minutes (longer if frozen).
• or fry about 2 minutes till golden brown.