Empanadas de queso

Empanadas de Queso Ingredients: • 4 cups flour • 4 tablespoons vegetable oil • 1 teaspoon salt • 1 teaspoon baking powder • 1 cup milk (hot) • 16 ounces Monterey Jack cheese • Vegetable oil for frying Preparation: 1. Whisk together the flour, salt, and baking powder in a large bowl. 
 2. Gently mix the vegetable oil into the flour. 
 3. Place the milk in a saucepan and heat until almost boiling. Stir the hot liquid into the mixture. Add more water (1 tablespoon at a time) if mixture seems to dry and crumbly, or add more flour if mixture is too wet and sticky. 
 4. Knead dough gently until well mixed and homogenous. Divide dough into 16 portions, and roll each piece into a ball. Let dough rest for 5 minutes. 
 5. Chop cheese into cubes. 6. Roll each ball of dough into a 6-7 inch diameter circle. Place one ounce of cheese in the center of each dough circle. 
 7. Fold dough in half over the cheese to form a semicircle. Press down firmly along edges to seal. Roll edge inward over itself and press down again to seal. Crimp edge decoratively with fork, pressing to seal. 
 8. Heat several inches of vegetable oil to 350 degrees in a deep sided skillet, pot, or deep fryer. Fry empanadas in batches, turning at least once, until golden brown. Drain empanadas on paper towels. 
 Empanadas can be kept warm in a 200 degree oven for up to 1 hour before served. Serve warm.

Empanadas de pino (meat)

Empanadas de Pino • Empanada dough (see recipe below) • 2 large onions, chopped • 1 pound ground beef • 2 teaspoons cumin • 1 beef bouillon cube • 1/2 cup raisins • ½ cup olives • 4 hard boiled eggs, sliced • 1 egg , to brush • 1 teaspoon sugar Preparation: • Prepare empanada dough. 
 • Cook the onions and garlic in the vegetable oil Add the ground beef, cumin, beef • bouillon, and salt and pepper to taste. 
 • Cook the beef, stirring and crumbling the meat, until browned and continue to cook for • 5 or 10 minutes more. 
 • Remove the meat mixture and let cool. The beef mixture will keep up to 2 days in the • refrigerator. 
 • Shape the empanadas: Separate the dough into golf ball size pieces, and roll into • smooth balls. Let rest for 5 minutes. On a floured surface, roll each ball of dough into a • 6 inch diameter circle, about 1/4 inch thick. Add 1 tablespoon of the beef filling, a few • raisins and some chopped olives, and a slice of hard boiled egg to the middle of the • circle. 
 • Brush the edges with water and fold the pastry in half over the filling, to make a semi • circle. 
 • Seal the edges by pressing down with your fingers. Brush the sealed edge lightly with • water, then turn the edge toward the middle and press with your fingers to seal. • Make a hole with a toothpick in the middle of the empanada. • Mix the egg with and brush the empanadas with the mixture. 
 • Bake at 350 for 25-30 minutes, or until golden brown. Ingredients for the dough: • 4 cups flour • 1 teaspoons salt • 12 tablespoons lard or vegetable shortening, chilled • 1 cup hot water • 1 teaspoon sugar Preparation: • Sift the flour into a bowl. Stir in the salt
 • shortening (or lard) into the flour mixture with a pastry cutter or with two knives, until fairly well blended. 
 • Add 1cup hot water., a little at a time until the dough starts to come together smoothly. Keep kneading the dough, adding more water/egg a little bit at a time as necessary (you made need a few tablespoons extra of water), until the dough is smooth. The dough • Dough should be soft and smooth, and elastic - if you poke a hole in it with your finger, the indentation should remain.
 • Turn dough out onto a floured surface, and roll into desired thickness.
 Makes enough dough for 10-12 large empanadas.