Mushroom Empanadas
Description
This was another snack that I made ahead and froze for Christmas Eve. They were a hit, I’ll definitely make them again, and this recipe was adapted from Dinner with Julie.
Ingredients
Mushroom Empanadas
Filling
2 T. butter
1 small onion, finely chopped
4 cloves of garlic, minced
2 t. EACH fresh thyme AND sage leaves (or 1 t. each dried)
1/2 t. EACH salt AND freshly ground pepper
1 1/2 c. EACH cremini mushrooms AND white mushrooms, finely chopped
3 T. balsamic vinegar AND 1/2 t. sugar
To be fair, I put everything but the butter, vinegar and sugar through the food processor and then I heated up a large skillet, melted the butter and sauteed it all together until softened, the liquid had basically evaporated and the mushrooms were starting to brown. It worked out just fine.
Once you’re at the point where the mushrooms are browned and starting to stick a bit, stir in the vinegar, stirring until there is no liquid left and then remove the mixture from the heat, sprinkle on the sugar and adjust seasonings to taste. Allow this mixture to cool to room temperature before using or make it the day before and put it in the fridge.
Pastry
1 c. cream cheese, softened AND 2/3 c. butter
2 c. flour
1 to 2 eggs, beaten – for forming the empanadas
Instructions
When I followed the original recipe there wasn’t enough pastry, so this is actually a doubled version, and it would be easiest to combine using an electric mixer. Beat the cream cheese and butter until well blended, add the flour and mix until the dough has formed. Separate it into 4 equal sized discs, wrap them well and refrigerate for at least a half hour or for up to 2 days. I made the pastry and the filling one day, and then spent the following evening putting them together.
On a lightly floured surface, roll out each disc and make cut outs using a 3 1/2 inch round cutter. Each disc should yield 7 to 8 pastry circles, and this included re-rolling the scraps – but do this only once or the dough will be tough.
Brush each circle edge with a bit of the beaten egg, place 1 teaspoon of filling in the middle, fold the pastry over and use a fork to seal the edges. At this point, if you’re planning on freezing them, freeze them in a single layer on a cookie sheet before transferring them to a bag or container.
If you will be cooking then straight away, brush the tops with egg and bake at 400 for about 15 minutes, turning them over once during baking. If you are cooking them from frozen, bake from frozen, but they will take closer to 25 minutes.
- Category: Appetizers, Mushrooms, Freezes Well
