BEEHIVE EMPANADAS

It was a beautiful day today. It was clear and bright. The weather is supposed to get a little nippy tonight. What a good excuse to fire up the Beehive Oven. (Like I need an excuse). I have had a hankerin to make Empanada's. This is something I have not tried to make. I followed a simple recipe for the dough and winged it for the filling. The nice thing about Empanada's is, you can fill them with about almost anything but Tofu. (YUK!)

Dough

2 cups flour

1 cup finely ground corn meal

1/2 cup shortening

1/2 teasp salt

1/2 teasp baking powder

Mix the flour, cornmeal, shortening, salt, and baking powder in a bowl. Use your finger to pinch the dry ingredients into the shortening until they begin to combine. Then add water 1 tablespoon at a time and knead the mixture until a dough forms. Knead for an additional 2 minutes. Form the dough into a ball, wrap it in plastic and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes

Filling

1/2 pound sausage

1/2 pound shoulder bacon

1 onion chopped

2 cloves garlic minced

1/8 cup Green Chile Powder

1/2 tsp cumin

salt & pepper

Brown the Sausage and bacon in a skillet. Add your onions and garlic and cook for another 4 minutes. Add the spices and 1/2 cup of water. Let simmer for 15 minutes. Cool and reserve.

Take your dough out of refrigerator and form into 10 balls. Roll the ball into a small flat circle. Take 1 1/2 tablespoon of your filling and place on dough. Fold over and crimp the edges together. Take a fork and dimple the edges. Bake at 400 degrees for aprox 30 minutes or until crust is golden.

These turned out great. The next time I make them I will omit the cornmeal and add an extra cup of flour. Serve them with some Salsa. Enjoy!