As soon as I unpacked everything, I got to work. Before long, I had made the two fillings, one sweet, one savory and the two types of dough were chilling in the refrigerator. I found a great website where you can learn everything you want to know about empanadas, including some great recipes for dough here.  Chilling the dough for ½ hour resulted in a very pliable dough which I could roll out very thinly without it tearing. I flavored the doughs—one with cumin and pepper, and the other with honey and cinnamon and an extra egg to add richness. The chicken filling consisted of browned onions, aji amarillo, garlic, chicken, olives, cumin, salt, and pepper. This is similar to the filling I often use for tamales. 

 

I also made a sweet apple filling with fried apples, raisins, cinnamon, sweetened with algarrobina. Because the dough was so pliable, everything assembled easily and before long, the empanadas were ready for the oven. Fenn, the 4-year-old son of my hosts, kept coming in to check on my progress and make sure he was not left out of the eating part.

When all was ready, I assembled a quick ensalada of cucumbers, avocado, and tomatoes, sprinkled with lime juice, and invited everyone down to the outdoor table for a snack.

 

I cannot wait to make more empanadas—what fillings should I use next? Squash? Cheese? Potatoes? Scrambled eggs and veggies? Bananas? Pumpkin? What do you think?