Empanadas!

Not only is it a fun word to say, but a fun thing to make and eat!

Empanadas can be made as an appetizer, a meal, a

breakfast pastry, or a dessert! The options are limitless!

Ingredients:

2 cups flour

1 tsp salt

12 TBSP butter, chilled and cut into small pieces (NOT MELTED!!)

12 TBSP cream cheese, chilled and cut into small pieces (NOT MELTED!!)

4 TBSP ice water

1 egg, beaten

FILLING-- this is up to you!! Read my suggestions* below!

Directions:

Mix the salt and the flour together in a large bowl.

Cut in the butter and cream cheese. You can use your food processor to do this, but I prefer to use my hands! Mix and mix and mix until the mixture resembles a course cornmeal. Sprinkle with the ice water and mix a little more until the dough forms a ball.

Flatten out, wrap in plastic wrap, and chill in the fridge for 30 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 425. Flour the dough and roll out until it is 1/4inch thick. Using a round cookie cutter or a large glass, cut out as many

circles as your dough allows.

Then roll up the "scraps" and cut out a few more circles. Then take your rolling pin and roll each circle just a bit, so it is a longer, oval shaped. This extra step allows you to fill them up a little bit more! Beat one egg in a small bowl and with a pastry brush, lightly paint the edge of the oval. This will help keep it sealed better when they are baking!

Place a spoonful of your Filling* in the middle of

each oval, fold the dough over and pinch the edges closed. Use the tines of a fork around the edge of the empanada to seal it and add a little flair to it before baking.

Bake at 425 for about 15 min (or until golden brown).

How you serve them will depend on what filling you chose. (see suggestions below)

EMPANADA FILLINGS:

*Taco meat & grated cheese (serve with sour cream and salsa)

*Spinach dip

*Crab Meat (or your favorite crab dip recipe)

*Breakfast sausage (cooked) and scrambled eggs (serve with sour cream and salsa)

*BBQ pork (like the kind you eat on a pulled pork sandwich) (serve with a dollop of BBQ sauce)

*Marmalade/Jam (pick your favorite flavor!) (sprinkle with powdered sugar before serving)

*Apple (or any other fruit) pie filling (serve with ice cream)

*"Strawberry Cheese Cake"--Spread cream Cheese on the dough & then place a dollop of strawberry jam in the middle of it before folding over

As you can see, the options are LIMITLESS!