An empanadita is a miniature empanada. Flipping through my cookbook, Memories of Philippine Kitchens, I came across a recipe for this treat. I didn’t quite follow it, but it came out pretty good.
Ingredients
The filling:
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
3 cloves garlic, diced
2 shallots, diced
1 lb. ground beef
1 medium carrot, diced
1 cup russet potato, diced
3 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons rice vinegar
3 tablespoons raisins
1/3 cup frozen peas or edamame
Salt
Pepper
All-purpose flour
2 eggs – separate the whites and yolks into separate dishes
1/4 cup skim milk
The dough
1/2 cups flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
6 tablespoons chilled unsalted butter, sliced to pieces
1 egg
Ice water
Directions
1. In a large mixing bowl, combine the flour and salt. Work in the lard and butter, using your fingers. Work the egg mixture into the dough and knead until smooth. Form into a ball, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1 hour while making the filling.
2. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
3. Heat oil in a large saute pan over medium heat. Add the garlic, shallots, and carrot and saute for about 5 minutes.
4. Add the ground beef and brown for 5 minutes. Add the pepper, potato, soy sauce, and rice vinegar. Reduce heat to medium, cover and cook for 15 minutes. Add raisins and cook for 3 more minutes. Next add the peas, or edamame. Taste and add more vinegar and salt if needed.
5. To make the empanaditas, remove the prepared dough from the refrigerator and place onto a lightly floured surface. Roll out the dough until it is 1/8-inch thick. Cut the dough into circles using a 4-inch round cookie cutter. Save the scraps to reroll.
6. Transfer the dough to a baking sheet. Add a heaping tablespoon of the filling. With a pastry brush, dab the edges of the circle with the egg whites. Fold it in half, and press the edges together to seal. Crimp the edges of the pastry with a fork to seal.
7. In another bowl, whisk the egg yolks and milk. Brush the tops of each empanadita with the egg wash.
8. Bake for 25 minutes.
