Empanaditas

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             FOOD FUNNY
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Thanks for this one from Rosemary Zwick in Cape Town, South Africa:

A Christmas wish for you -
May your stuffing be tasty
May your turkey be plump,
May your potatoes and gravy
Have never a lump.
May your yams be delicious
And your pies take the prize,
May your Christmastide dinner,
Stay well off your thighs!

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             TODAY'S RECIPE
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As with most of the dishes for this buffet, these little meat pies can
be made a day or two in advance and kept refrigerated until you're ready
to bake them at the last minute.

Empanaditas

For the filling:
1/2 cup (125 ml) finely chopped onions
1 Tbs (15 ml) olive oil
1/2 cup (125 ml) beef broth or water
1/2 lb (225 g) lean ground beef
2 hard cooked eggs, peeled and chopped
6 pitted green olives, chopped
1/4 cup (60 ml) seedless raisins, soaked in boiling water for 10 minutes and drained thoroughly
1 tsp (5 ml) red pepper flakes
1/2 tsp (2 ml) paprika
1/4 tsp (1 ml) ground cumin
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

For the dough:
2 cups (500 ml) all-purpose flour
1 tsp (5 ml) salt
10 Tbs (150 ml) butter cut into 1/4-inch (5 mm) cubes
1/3 cup (80 ml) cold water

Begin with the filling. Combine the onions, olive oil, and beef broth or
water in a skillet and boil over high heat until the liquid is
evaporated. Add the meat and cook, stirring constantly, until brown.
Stir in the remaining ingredients and set aside.

To make the dough, combine the flour, butter and salt in a large bowl.
Using your fingers, rub the flour and butter together until they are
blended and look like coarse meal. Add the water and mix until the dough
can be formed into a compact ball. Roll the dough out onto a lightly
floured surface, making a rough circle about 1/8 inch (3 mm) thick. As
you roll the dough lift it up occasionally and dust underneath with
flour to prevent sticking to the work surface. Cut into rounds about 3
inches (8 cm) in diameter with a cookie cutter or empty tin can of the
right size. Gather the resulting scraps of dough, roll and repeat until
you have 24 to 30 circles.

Place about 1 tsp (5 ml) of the filling in the center of each circle,
leaving the edges of the dough exposed around it. Top the filling with a
piece of egg and 2 pieces of olive, and moisten the exposed dough with a
finger dipped in water. Fold the empanada in half to form a crescent and
press the edges firmly together. Decorate the edges of the empanaditas
by pressing the dough with the tines of a fork, or by pinching with your
fingers. Arrange the empanaditas on an ungreased baking sheet and bake
them in the middle of a preheated 400F (200C) oven for about 5 minutes,
or until they are lightly browned. With a spatula transfer to a heated
platter and serve immediately.
Makes about 2 dozen.
Received on Mon Dec 24 19:35:32 2007