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1
For the dough: Mix the COLD and cubed butter with 1 egg, flour, and salt.
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I like to use my hands because my food processor is small and mixing dough with a spoon is HARD.
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3
I am not about doing things the hard way.
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Be warned, the mixture will be clumpy and dry.
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Slowly begin to add in the water.
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You may not need all of it, so I like to add some, mix, and then add more.
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You want the mixture to come clean off the bowl in one ball.
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The dough is too wet if it feels sticky; the dough is too dry if you cant get it to stick together in a ball.
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After that comes together, stick the dough in the fridge to cool down for about half an hour.
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When its cool, roll it out on a floured surface to about quarter of an inch thick.
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Use a small plate (or cookie cutter or something else round) to cut out dough for your empanadas.
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For the filling:
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First, chop the garlic, onion, spinach, and sundried tomatoes.
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Then put a little olive oil in a pan, toss in the garlic and onions.
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Let the onions sweat until almost translucent.
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Add in the chicken, making sure to break it up as it cooks.
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Right before you take it off the heat, toss in the spinach and sundried tomatoes.
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Salt to taste.
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Putting it together:
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Start by mixing up the remaining egg for your empanada glue and egg wash. Take a dough circle, put about three tablespoons of filling into the middle of the circle and top with a little bit of cheese (if desired).
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You want enough mix so youre not eating all crust, but not so much that you cant properly seal the empanada.
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Brush the egg onto the perimeter of half the dough to hold the sides together (I use my fingers; does this step even make sense?).
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Fold one side of the dough onto the other, pressing the edges firmly.
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Use a fork to press the sides together and make cute little notches on the edge.
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Poke a couple of holes in the top of the finished product for steam.
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Brush the top with the egg wash.
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Place the empanadas on a foiled cookie sheet that has been sprayed with nonstick spray.
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Bake at 350 degrees F for about 25 minutes or until the tops are brown and they lift easily off of the cookie sheet.
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A note about the sundried tomatoes: Theyre most often found either in oil or completely dried out.
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If its the latter, soak them in water for about an hour to bring them back to life and make them easier to chop up and cook with.
