Baked Empanadas

I’ve always felt my grandmother, Cuban born and raised, is the one who fed me the love to cook and share love, one meal at time.  Although she’s been gone for 11 years now, she still inspires us with the memories of all her delicious meals she made.  Recently, my mother found her old cookbooks which had her original recipes – one of the recipes was the Empanada.  Traditionally fried, I looked at ways I can alter the recipe for baking and still keeping the wonderful taste I knew to love.  After several trials, this one finally passed my mothers, husbands and my kids “seal of approval”.  Give them a try and let me know! 

3 cups  flour
3 tablespoons  sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 tablespoon  salt
2  whole egg -- slightly beaten
5  tablespoons  olive oil
1  tablespoon  dry white wine -- cooking wine
1  cup  water -- you may not use all the water
1  egg -- whipped
Picadillo (Ground Beef)  - Recipe follows

Mix flour, baking powder, sugar, & salt and flour in a large shallow bowl, make a well in the middle.

Add eggs, dry white wine, olive oil and mix with large spoon, adding the water, little by little and mixing with hands until dough is formed.  Do not over knead. Dough will be very sticky.

Wrap dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate for about 1 hour.

Take a small handful of a piece and roll out with rolling pin.  Place 1 large Tablespoon of ground beef (or other filling) in the center and fold over dough. 

Crimp with fork and cut around.  Prick with fork in the middle to allow ventilation while baking.

Place on Baking Sheet.  Brush with egg wash and bake at 375 degrees for about 20 minutes, or until golden brown.

Picadillo (Ground Beef)

1 pound  ground beef -- or Ground Turkey
1 onion
4  cloves  garlic
8  ounces  tomato sauce
1/4  cup  white cooking wine -- vino seco
2  teaspoons  cumin
2  teaspoons  oregano
1  tablespoon  fresh ground pepper -- or to taste
1/2  teaspoon  salt -- or to taste
1/2  cup  green olives, Goya -- sliced

Cut onion in quarters and put in food processor with the garlic cloves.  Mince (this translate into about 1 1/2 Cups of "Sofrito".)

Sauté onions and garlic until translucent.  Add Ground beef, mash into large frying pan and sprinkle with cumin, oregano and salt and pepper to taste.

Once meat is browned.  Add Tomato sauce and wine.  Let simmer over low heat for about 15 minutes, add green olives.  Let simmer another 5 - 10 minutes.