the chocolate chip cookies and one more surprise

So here I am on a baking high still. Yesterday, I decided to make empanada since I could not think of any other dessert that I want to make as of the moment. Empanada is one of the favorite pastries of many Filipinos, mine especially. Sometimes, I used to go out of the house just to buy empanada at the nearest store, which is about seven blocks from us. The better if it is fresh.

After mass, I decided to go to the mall to buy my utensils - shell moulder, rolling pin and brush - and my ingredients. I started making the dough around two in the afternoon before cooking the filling so I can let the dough sit for a while. Never did I imagine that making the empanadas would take so long! This is because I had to cut/square/mince all filling ingredients -- onion, garlic, potatoes, carrots, boiled chicken. It was an exhausting work but well worth the effort. When they came out, they truly looked like professional empanadas (except for the burnt underside hahaha). I was happy with what I had. When a couple of friends arrived to pick something up, the first thing they noticed was the very nice smell coming from the oven. That alone made me so happy! And they were lucky too, because they were the first ones who got the freshly baked empanadas, straight from the oven! Yey! :)

The chocolate chip cookies did not turn as chewy as I expected it would be but it was okay, too :) I would probably bring some of these at the office so they can comment on it. Hope they would like it :)

----- updated 9 November 2013 -----

Chicken Empanada (from My Bright Yellow Kitchen)

Filling

2 lbs coarsely chopped chicken (you can use chicken breast but thighs taste better)
2 tbsp cooking oil
salt and pepper to taste
1 piece medium-sized yellow onion, minced
2 gloves garlic, minced
1 medium potato, diced
1 carrot, diced
1/4 cup raisins
1/2 can cream of asparagus soup
1/2 cup green peas, optional
2 hard-boiled eggs cut into strips, optional

 

In a heated pan with cooking oil, saute garlic, onion & carrot until onions are soft and translucent.

Add chicken and stir fry until meat is cooked thru (about 5 minutes). 

Add cream of asparagus soup and potatoes and cook until vegetables are tender (about 10 minutes).

Add green peas and raisins and simmer for about 5 minutes.

Sprinkle with salt and pepper.

Remove from heat. Set aside to cool or store in refrigerator overnight.
 
Dough

3 cups flour

1/4 cup sugar
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup butter, cold
6 tbsp ice water
2 raw egg 

(Note: Original recipe calls for only 1 egg. I changed this to add another one to include in the mixing of dough to hold the ingredients together. The other egg will used later as egg wash - see instructions #16-18)

Tools you need: rolling pin, pastry blender (if you don't have one you can use bread knife/fork), pastry brush, round cookie cutter or dough press

1. In a mixing bowl, combine the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt then mix well.
2. Cut the cold butter into small thin pieces and drop them on the mixing bowl with the dry ingredients.
3. Using a fork, two bread knives, a pastry blender or your fingers, work the butter into the flour (i use both pastry blender and fingers).
4. Don't stop until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. 
5. Add cold water one tablespoon at a time and mix all the ingredients thoroughly.
6. Keep mixing until a dough is formed.
7. Divide the dough into individual pieces by grabbing a piece from the whole mixture and rolling it in your hand until a pingpong-sized ball is formed. Do this until all the dough is consumed. Chill in refrigerator for at least 20 minutes or until ready to use.
8. On a floured surface and with floured hands, press the spherical dough with your palm to make it flat.
9. Use a floured rolling pin to flatten it fully while creating a round shape.  Make sure the flattened dough is wide enough to fit on your dough press or a round cookie cutter.
10. Pick the size you want for your empanada (i use medium mold)
11. Take the flattened/rolled dough and place it directly onto the "bowl" shaped, top side of the mold. Gently press and stretch out the dough into the bowl area and over the ridged edges.  Fill with about 1 tbsp of chicken filling and 2 small slices of hard-boiled egg on half of mold. (using your fingers or a small brush, you can also moisten the edges of the dough with a little water so that the dough will stick together better.  I'm too lazy to do this.)
12. Gently close it and apply light pressure.  Remove excess dough and use again when you have enough excess dough to shape a ball.
13. Gently open the mold.
14. Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit
15. On a greased baking tray or lined with waxed paper,  arrange the sealed doughs.
16. Prepare the egg wash by cracking an egg and separating the  white from the yolk.
17. Beat the egg white lightly and mix about 1 teaspoon of water.
18. Brush each empanada with egg wash. 
19. Bake for 25 minutes.  
20. Remove from oven and allow to cool in tray for 5 minutes.
21. Transfer on a cooling rack.