Empanadas****

By Gigirox

These tasty and convenient Latin-American-style turnovers can be frozen for up to three months, individually wrapped in plastic and placed in resealable plastic bags. There's no need to thaw before baking, they can go right from the freezer to the oven.

Ingredients

• Ingredients
• For the Filling
• 2 pounds ground pork or beef
• 2 medium onions, finely diced
• 2 jalapeno chiles, minced (ribs and seeds removed for less heat, if desired)
• 1/2 teaspoon chili powder
• 2 cans (14.5 ounces each) tomatoes, diced
• coarse salt and ground pepper
• 1 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
• For the Dough
• 4 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 1/2 cup (1 stick) cold butter, cut into small pieces
• 1 cup cold water
• 1 large egg, lightly beaten with 1 tablespoon water (do not beat until ready to bake)

Preparation

Step 1

Directions
Filling:
1. In a 12-inch skillet over medium-high, cook meat until no longer pink, breaking it up into small pieces, 5 to 7 minutes.
2. Add onion and jalapenos; cook until soft, 5 minutes.
3. Stir in chili powder and tomatoes. Cook over medium until mixture has thickened, 12 to 15 minutes.
4. Season with salt and pepper. Fold in cilantro. Let cool.
Dough:
1. In a bowl, combine flour, baking powder, and salt.
2. Using your fingers, cut in butter until mixture is crumbly.
3. Add just enough cold water so dough comes together.
4. Knead,turn out dough onto a lightly floured work surface, and divide in half. Knead each half 2 or 3 times to form smooth balls.
5. Cut each ball into four equal pieces. Cover with plastic; let stand until slightly risen, 20 minutes.
6. Shape into balls.
7. On floured surface, roll out each piece of dough into an 8-inch round.
8. Divide filling evenly among rounds, spreading it over half of each and leaving a 1/2-inch border.
9. Brush border of bottom halves with water; fold top halves over filling to enclose completely. Press edges to seal with your fingertips, then crimp firmly with a fork.
10. If desired, freeze on a baking sheet until firm, 2 hours. Wrap tightly in plastic; freeze in plastic bags.
**To bake fresh or frozen empanadas, preheat oven to 400 degrees. Place on parchment-lined baking sheets. Brush tops with egg wash, avoiding crimped edges. Bake until golden brown, rotating sheets halfway through, 30 to 40 minutes.