Mini Sweet Empanada 3 Pack Recipe

Combine dry ingredients

In a large bowl whisk together 3 cups all-purpose flour, 2 tbs granulated sugar, and 1 tsp fine sea salt until evenly distributed.

Cut in butter

Add 12 tbs (1 1/2 sticks) cold cubed unsalted butter to the flour. Using a pastry cutter or your fingertips, work the butter into the flour until mixture resembles coarse crumbs with pea-sized pieces of butter remaining (about 6–8 rotations of the cutter or 4–6 minutes by hand).

Make dough

In a small bowl whisk together 1 large egg, 1 tsp white vinegar and 6 tbs ice water. Pour the liquid into the flour-butter mixture and gently fold with a spatula until dough begins to come together. If dough is still dry, add up to 1–2 tbs more ice water, 1 tbs at a time. Do not overmix — stop when a shaggy, cohesive dough forms.

Chill

Turn dough onto a lightly floured surface and press into a disk about 1" thick. Wrap tightly in plastic and refrigerate at least 30 minutes (up to 2 hours). Chilling firms the butter so the crust will be flaky.

Dulce de leche (ready-to-use)

If using store-bought dulce de leche, stir until smooth. Transfer to a small piping bag or resealable plastic bag with a corner snipped. Reserve about 1 tbs dulce de leche per mini empanada (12 tbs total). No cooking required.

Creamy chocolate filling

Chop 6 oz semisweet chocolate and place in a heatproof bowl. Warm 1 tbs heavy cream until hot but not boiling (microwave 15–20 seconds). Pour hot cream over chocolate and let sit 1 minute, then stir until smooth to make ganache. Stir in 2 oz softened cream cheese until fully incorporated and smooth. Let cool until slightly thickened but still pipeable. Use about 1 tbs filling per mini empanada.

Maracuya (passion fruit) curd-style filling

In a small saucepan combine 1 cup passion fruit pulp and 3 tbs granulated sugar over medium heat, stirring until sugar dissolves. In a small bowl whisk 1 tsp cornstarch into 2 tbs water to make a slurry. Add slurry to the warming pulp and cook, stirring constantly, until mixture thickens and coats the back of a spoon, about 2–4 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool to room temperature. Use about 1 tbs per mini empanada. (If pulp is very tart you can adjust sugar by ±1 tbs to taste.)

Preheat and prepare

Preheat oven to 375°F (190°C). Line a baking sheet with parchment or lightly grease with 1 tsp vegetable oil or nonstick spray. Remove chilled dough from refrigerator and let sit 5 minutes so it's workable but still cool.

Roll and cut

On a lightly floured surface (use the additional flour), roll dough to 1/8" thickness. Using a 3 1/2–4 inch round cutter (or a small bowl), cut 12 circles. Gather scraps, re-roll once, and cut remaining circles.

Fill and seal

Place a dough circle on your palm or a work surface. Put about 1 tablespoon of chosen filling (dulce de leche, chocolate or maracuya) in the center, keeping filling away from the edges. Brush edge lightly with a little egg wash (see below). Fold dough over to form a half-moon and press edges to seal. Crimp edges with a fork or roll and press decoratively. Repeat with remaining circles.

Egg wash and Bake

Whisk together 1 large egg and 1 tsp cold water for egg wash. Brush each empanada lightly with egg wash to get a golden finish. Place empanadas on prepared baking sheet about 1" apart. Bake in preheated oven for 18–22 minutes or until tops are golden brown and bottoms set. Rotate pan halfway through baking for even color.

Cool and finish

Remove from oven and transfer to a cooling rack. Let cool 10 minutes. Dust lightly with 2 tbs powdered sugar if desired. Serve warm or at room temperature. Each 3-pack serving consists of 3 mini empanadas; recipe yields 4 servings (12 mini empanadas total).