Title: Empanadas
Categories: Appetizers
Yield: 4 servings

1/4 lb Unsalted butter
2 c All purpose flour
1 ts Baking powder
1/2 ts Salt (or to taste)
2 Yolks of large eggs
1/4 c Chilled water
1/2 lb Ground lean beef
1/2 c Chopped white onions
2 tb Seedless raisins
2 tb Chopped black or green
-olives
1/2 ts Ground red pepper (Cayenne)
1/2 ts Oregano
1/2 ts Salt

1. Cut the butter into 1/4 inch cubes.

2. Place the flour, baking powder, salt, and butter in a mixing bowl.
Combine the ingredients with a pastry cutter (or with the steel blade
in a food processor).

3. Beat the egg yolks. Mix half of them into the flour mixture.
Reserve the remainder for step 12.

4. Incorporate the water slowly into the flour mixture until the
dough becomes a cohesive and semifirm mass.

5. Shape the sough into two balls. Wrap them in plastic wrap and
refrigerate them for 15 minutes.

6. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

7. Heat the oil in a large saute pan or skillet over moderate heat.
Saute the meat for 3 minutes, stirring frequently. Transfer the meat
with a slotted spoon to a warm bowl.

8. Add the onions to the pan and saute them over low to moderate
heat for 3 minutes, stirring frequently. (Add 1 or 2 extra teaspoons
of oil if necessary).

9. Return the meat to the pan and add the remaining ingredients.
Cook the mixture for 1 minute, stirring constantly. Reserve it for
step 11.

10. Roll each ball of dough on a lightly floured board into a
1/8-inch thick sheet. Using a cookie cutter with a 4- to 5-inch
diameter, cut out rounds. Collect the scraps and repeat step 10 until
the dough is used up.

11. Place one tablespoon of the meat mixture in the center of each
dough round. Lightly moisten the exposed dough with cold tap water.
Fold each round in half, creating a half-moon shape. Crimp the two
edges of dough together, so that the stuffing cannot ooze out during
the baking step.

12. Brush the tops of the uncooked empanadas with the remaining egg
yolk.

13. Place the uncooked empanadas on an ungreased baking sheet. Bake
them in the middle of the oven until the tops become light golden
brown (roughly 20 minutes). Serve the empanadas fresh from the oven.

Serves 4.

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