These savory empanadas are filled with fresh meat and cheeses and are accompanied by a delicious dipping sauce featuring a variety of local ingredients!

Ingredients:

Filling:

• ½ lb. Tyner Pond Ground Chorizo, browned and drained
• ½ c. Risin Creek Roasted Garlic and Herb Chevre
• ¼ c. Risin Creek Goat Milk Feta
• 1 Tyner Pond Farm Fresh Egg, beaten
• 3 tbl. Pimento stuffed green olives, roughly chopped
• 3 tbl. Golden raisins, roughly chopped
• ½ tsp. kosher salt
• ½ tsp. smoked hot paprika
  
  Dough:
• 2 ¼ c. Carthage Mill Field to Pantry Soft Red Wheat All Purpose Flour
• 1 ½ tsp. kosher salt
• ½ c. unsalted butter (one stick), cold and cut into ½” cubes
• 1 Tyner Pond Farm Fresh Egg, beaten
• 1/3 c. ice cold water
• 1 tbsp. Apple Cider Vinegar

Dipping Sauce:

• ½ c. Bastin Honey Bee Farm Pure Honey
• 2 Tbsp. Whole grain mustard (Batch No. 2 Black and Cajun)
• 2 Tbsp. Josh’s Jungle Pickled Hot Banana peppers, minced
• 1 Tyner Pond Farm Fresh Egg, beaten (for sealing edges of dough and brushing on tops of pastries)
• 1 TBSP Poppy seeds and/or sesame seeds (optional for garnishing tops of pastries)

Directions:

TO PREPARE FILLING
Combine all filling ingredients until evenly mixed. Set aside.

TO PREPARE DOUGH
Blend flour, salt and butter with a pastry cutter or fork until pea-sized pieces form
Add ice cold water, egg and vinegar. Stir until incorporated. Dough will be ragged. Turn out of a floured surface and knead lightly until dough just comes together. Wrap with plastic and chill for an hour. Roll out on floured surface to 1/8″ thickness. Cut out 12-14 five inch rounds. Re-roll scraps.

TO FINISH
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Fill center of rounds with 1 ½ TBSP filling, leaving a ¼’ border. Brush edges with beaten egg or water. Fold dough in half over filling, making a half moon shape. Crimp edges with a fork, making sure they are well sealed. Place on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet and brush tops of each with beaten egg. Sprinkle tops of pastries with seeds, if desired. Bake for 25-30 minutes until browned. Combine dipping sauce ingredients and whisk until well combined. Serve on the side in a bowl.

Makes 12-14 empanadas. Can be served piping hot or at room temperature (if they last that long!)

Any leftovers should be stored in a container in the refrigerator.

Submitted by: Michael Weaver
Indiana Grown Culinary Creations Contest