Empanadas ( Ivorian pastels)

I have not always been a big ''fan'' of making my dough from scratch but I actually love it now. Not only it tastes better compared to some of the pre-made '' doughs'' sold in the store but it is also not that hard to make them with no food processor. I must say this: the hardest one I have tried so far for my croissant and danish is the puff pastry! Oh, that one is a piece of work... But most of them are pretty easy to make with bare hands and the results are amazing! Truth to be told, I would like one of these KitchenAid mixers as a Christmas gift but until then, I will be using my hands.

This recipe is pretty popular in many cultures. In Ivory Coast, we call them ''pastels'', one of my fave street’s food/ snack! It is a very versatile snack as you can basically fill it with anything sweet, savory, etc. your palet is the limit!

Here is the list of ingredients for the dough ( if you like making your food from scratch ...taste so much better but hey no judgment you gotta do what you gotta do 😉):

Ingredients 3 cups of all-purpose flour 1tsp of salt 1/4 cup of butter ( in cube-room temp) 1tbsp of white vinegar 1 and a half cup of cold water 1 egg + 1 egg white

Source: https://www.thespruceeats.com/empanada-recipe-instructions-2138075

Instructions Mix the dry ingredients together then add the cubes of butter and incorporate slowly ( like pie dough). Mix the liquid ingredients together in a separate bowl then make a little well in the dry ingredients bowl and slowly pour the liquid while mixing. Work the dough until it softens, let it rest in the fridge for 1h and voila!

I have cut the dough in small pieces and rolled each in a deformed circle, very thin (1/4 inch) as the dough stretches very well on a floured Wood surface. I have made mine savory and filled it with a mix of ground beef and potatoes and deep-fried.

I will try one with tuna mixed in a seasoned tomato paste (how they make in Abidjan)

Bonne Appétit!