Impress your friends with perfectly flakey and light empanada dough. The Pastry Beater attachment for the KitchenAid Stand Mixer helps you cut cold butter into your dough without breaking a sweat. Why not try a beef and cheese variety tonight?
Beef and Cheese Empanadas
Yield: 12 empanadas Prep Time: 30 minutes Cook Time: 20 minutes
Special Equipment: KitchenAid® Artisan Stand Mixer with pastry beater attachment; 2 sheet pans; parchment paper
Filling:
2 tablespoons (13ml) olive oil
6-8 ounces (226g) poblano pepper, diced 6-8 ounces (226g) yellow onion, diced 3/4 pound (340g) ground beef
2 tablespoons (34g) tomato paste
1 teaspoon (6g) salt
1 teaspoon (2g) cumin
1 teaspoon (2g) smoked paprika
2 tablespoons (4g) minced cilantro
6 ounces (170g) Monterey Jack cheese
Dough:
3 cups (360g) flour
3/4 cup (180g) butter
1 teaspoon (6g) salt
1⁄3 cup (79ml) water
1 large (57g) egg
2 teaspoons (10ml) of white vinegar
Heat a fry pan on medium high heat. Add olive oil to coat the bottom of the pan, then add in the diced onion and diced poblano pepper. Saute the vegetables until fragrant and tender, stirring occasionally. Then, add in ground beef, tomato paste, salt, cumin, smoked paprika, and cilantro. Stir to fully incorporate, and cook the filling until the meat is no longer pink. Turn off the heat and immediately use a slotted spoon to transfer the mixture into a large bowl, being sure to allow excess oil to drain from the mixture. Set aside to cool.
Make the dough. In a glass measuring cup whisk together the water, egg and white vinegar. Set aside. Place the flour and salt in the work bowl of the KitchenAid® Artisan stand mixer fitted with the pastry beater. Turn the mixer to stir for five seconds, then add in the cold butter. Increase the speed to 2 for one minute. Reduce the speed to stir and slowly pour in the water mixture counting to 8 while pouring. Once water is added, immediately turn off the mixer. Remove the dough from the work bowl onto a lightly floured surface and gently knead the dough into a smooth ball. (If the dough feels too wet, sprinkle it with a bit of flour to reduce the tackiness.) Slightly flatten the dough into a disc, wrap it in plastic wrap, and chill for 15 minutes.
Preheat the oven to 425°F/218°C and line the sheet pans with parchment paper. Add the cheese into the cooled meat mixture and stir to fully incorporate. Set aside.
Cut the chilled dough into quarters, and then each quarter into thirds; you should have 12 wedges. Roll each wedge into a ball, and then use a rolling pin to roll each ball into an oversized circle about 6” in diameter. Place 2-3 tablespoons of filling in the top half of the circle, leaving 1⁄2” around the outer edge. Then, fold the bottom half of the dough up over the mixture, and use a fork to press the edges of the dough together. Repeat for remaining empanadas.
Place the empanadas on a sheet pan with 1” of space between, and chill the prepared empanadas in the freezer for 5-10 minutes after forming. Before baking, cut three vents into the top of each empanada, and brush the exposed dough with egg wash. Bake for 16-18 minutes, or until empanadas are golden brown and bubbling.
