Empanadas: How to make these delicious pastries yourself

Latin America stretches from the desert of Mexico through the rainforest of Brazil, across the high peaks of the Andes in Chile and Argentina, to the barren Tierra del Fuego at the southernmost tip of the continent. Millions of people live there, each with a rich culture—and almost all share one specialty: empanadas.

The crescent-shaped pastries are filled with ingredients such as meat, cheese, or vegetables and can be eaten hot or cold. Empanadas are served at every celebration in South America, but are also a popular everyday snack. In Disney's animated film "Encanto," Mama's Colombian empanadas even have healing powers. They heal insect bites and broken arms. The way to a person's heart is through their stomach, after all.

The dish is prepared slightly differently in every country. Ultimately, however, empanadas always remain one thing above all else: pastries. In Chile, for example, they are served as a side dish at barbecues or as a main course with salsa. The country annually awards the best empanada of Santiago. And in Argentina, the pastries are both baked and fried – and filled with minced meat, olives, hard-boiled eggs, diced potatoes, ham, or cheese.

Meanwhile, there is disagreement about who invented empanadas. The internet has its own origin story for almost every Latin American country. What is clear is that the name of the pastries derives from the verb "empanar" (Spanish for "to bread" or "to fill a pastry"). The most likely explanation is that the Spanish conquistadors brought a predecessor of the recipe back to South America and spread it there.

To make 10 to 15 empanadas with minced meat filling, combine 300 grams of flour, a quarter teaspoon of baking powder, half a teaspoon of salt, and a pinch of sugar. Then, knead this mixture with 200 grams of cold, cut-in butter, one egg, and one tablespoon of cold water until a smooth dough forms. Shape the dough into a log and let it rest in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, finely chop a large onion and dice a bell pepper. If you like it spicy, slice a chili pepper into rings. Sauté the onion in oil until translucent, add 400 grams of ground meat, and fry. Add the bell pepper and chili pepper, if desired, two tablespoons of tomato paste, a teaspoon of paprika, and a little chili powder, if desired. Season with salt and let the mixture cool. Only then carefully stir in the beaten egg.

Now roll out the dough on a floured surface as thinly as possible. Cut out circles with a diameter of about 12 to 15 centimeters – for example, using a bowl. Separate an egg and brush the outside of the dough circles with egg white. Place a dollop of the meat mixture in the center. Then fold the dough over to form a semicircle. Carefully press the edges together with a fork.

Place the empanadas on a baking sheet, leaving some space between them, whisk the egg yolk with a teaspoon of milk, and brush the pastries with it. Bake the empanadas at 180 degrees Celsius for about 15 minutes. Serve warm or cold.