Ingredients
for the Dough
5 cups all purpose flour
2 teaspoon salt
2 1/2 sticks chilled unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
2/3 cup chilled solid vegetable shortening, diced
1/2 cup (or more) ice water
for the Chicken Pepper filing
1 medium onion, finely diced
1 red pepper, finely diced
1 orange pepper, finely diced
1 yellow pepper, finely diced
3 cups chopped rotisserie chicken
3 tablespoons olive oil
3 tablespoons flour
1/2 teaspoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
salt and pepper to taste
1 cup chicken stock (if store bought, use low sodium)
1/2 cup milk or cream
for the Spinach Mushroom filing
1 medium onion, finely diced
5 cups crimini mushrooms, finely diced
2 cups frozen spinach, thawed and squeezed of as much liquid as possible
3 tablespoons olive oil
3 tablespoons flour
salt and pepper to taste
1 cup chicken stock (if store bought, use low sodium)
1/2 cup milk or cream
1 egg, beaten, mixed with 2 tablespoons of water, to egg wash
Directions
First, make your dough: Blend flour and salt in processor. Add butter and shortening and cut in using on/off turns until mixture resembles coarse meal. Add 6 tablespoons ice water and process until moist clumps form, adding more water by teaspoonfuls if dough is dry. Gather into ball; divide into 2 pieces. Flatten each into disk. Wrap each in plastic; chill 2 hours.
While the dough is resting, make your fillings. For the chicken pepper, heat olive oil in a medium pan. Sauté onions for 5 minutes on medium heat until slightly golden. Add peppers and sauté an addition 8-10 minutes. Add cumin, red pepper flakes and salt and pepper. Add flour and cook for an additional minute. Slowly add chicken stock to create a sauce. Finally, add the chicken and milk or cream. Let cool to room temperature before filling empanadas.
For the Spinach mushroom filling, heat olive oil in a medium pan. Sauté onions for 5 minutes on medium heat until slightly golden. Add mushrooms and sauté until softened, approximately 10-15 minutes. Add flour and cook for an additional minute. Slowly add chicken stock to create a sauce. Finally, add the spinach and milk or cream. Let cool to room temperature before filling empanadas.
Preheat oven to 350F. roll out dough to 1/8 thickness. Cut out rounds, using a 4-inch cookie or biscuit cutter. Re-roll dough as needed. Repeat procedure with remaining dough. Arrange 1 round on a clean, flat surface. Lightly brush the edges of crust with water. Place 1 heaping teaspoon of filling mixture in the center of the round. Do not over-fill as they will open during baking. Fold the dough over the filling, pressing the edges with a fork to seal. Repeat with the remaining rounds and chicken mixture. Arrange empanadas on the prepared baking sheet and brush with egg wash. Bake for 20-25 minutes, until golden brown.
