In the last couple of years, empanadas have become one of my most popular menu offerings. A humble, rustic pastry, with sweet or savory fillings, that is incredibly satisfying to make and to eat. Almost every region has their version of an empanada.
Latin countries use a firmer dough made with eggs, and are fried, resulting in a denser pastry. I make my empanadas with a flaky pastry that’s lighter, and like the name implies, very flaky.
In the beginning, I started with traditional recipes like guava and cream cheese (pastelitos in Spanish), and chorizo with cheddar. Then I realized I could use any kind of filling that sounded good to me, regardless of it being in an empanada recipe. Now I’m adding flavor combinations from Europe and Asia to my rotation.
Empanadas are such a pleasing comfort food that I’ve started offering them as a take and bake option. They freeze extremely well and my customers love having the option to eat them fresh out of the oven whenever they want. Send me an email if you’re interested in having some take and bake empanadas