Empanadas de Hongos (Mushroom Turnovers) by Maria Baez Kijac

Empanadas de Hongos
(Mushroom Turnovers)
by Maria Baez Kijac
from The South American Table
(Harvard Common Press, 2003)
Makes 12 main course empanadas

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This was one of my mother's favorite first courses for dinner parties. Of course, the puff pastry was always made at home. I remember my sister Ximena loved to make puff pastry; I think she was 10 years old when she learned how to make this dough. These empanadas were also a favorite of my cooking-class students, and they are always a treat for family and friends. The bonus is that they freeze beautifully. To accommodate today's busy schedules, I often rely on ready-made puff pastry, as in this version of the dish.


convert		Ingredients
		FOR THE RELLENO (filling)
1/2 stick		unsalted butter
1 pound		fresh, firm white mushrooms, wiped clean with a damp cloth or paper towel and finely chopped
1/4 cup		chopped scallions (white part and 1 inch of the green)
1/4 cup		whipping cream
1/2 teaspoon		salt
1/4 teaspoon		freshly ground black pepper
		Pinch of freshly grated nutmeg
2 tablespoons		day-old bread crumbs
2 tablespoons		finely chopped fresh parsley leaves or dill
8 ounces		cheddar cheese, shredded

		FOR THE DOUGH
2 packages		Pepperidge Farm frozen puff pastry shells, thawed
1 large		egg lightly beaten with 1 tablespoon water

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Method

MAKE THE RELLENO
1. Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the mushrooms and scallions and cook, stirring, until all the liquid from the mushrooms has evaporated. Add the cream, and cook until reduced enough to just coat the mushrooms. Remove from the heat and add the salt, pepper, and nutmeg. Toss with the bread crumbs and parsley. Let cool, then stir in the cheese.

MAKE THE EMPANADAS
1. Remove 1 pastry shell and roll it out on a lightly floured work surface into a 5- to 6-inch circle. Place 2 heaping tablespoons of the filling in the center of the circle and lightly moisten the edge of half of the circle with the egg mixture. Fold the round in half and press firmly to seal the edges. Crimp the edge with a fork dipped in flour and pierce the top with a fork to allow steam to escape. Repeat with the remaining shells and filling, then refrigerate for 30 minutes before baking.

2. Preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C).

3. Brush the empanadas with the egg mixture and bake on the upper oven rack until golden brown, about 25 minutes. Let cool for a few minutes before serving.

NOTE: These empanadas freeze very well unbaked. Freeze on baking sheets lined with waxed paper until hard, then store in covered containers. You can pop them into the oven frozen just increase the baking time by 5 minutes.

Reviews

[Stacey Horning] MUY RICO! These empanadas are great when you're short on time but need an impressive party dish. (I brought them to a cocktail party and they were snapped right up!) These would also be terrific filled with shiitakes, morels, hen-of-the-woods...

[Bonnie Depew] This was a delicious recipe, and my whole family enjoyed it. The flavors in the filling were a good blend. I will definitely make this again. I was a little worried at first that the filling was going to be too wet for the dough, but after adding the cheese it was fine.

[Duane De Mello] A simple recipe to follow and prepare. The empanadas turned out quite well and had the typical puff pastry flakiness and pleasant texture. A wonderful recipe with great taste.

I was not expecting a culinary delight when I read that the dough in this recipe is Pepperidge Farm frozen puff pastry. Although I've never been to South America, I was skeptical that this was going to be "authentic." Authenticity aside, this was a delicious, easy recipe which would be good to have on hand when you have an empanada craving, as I sometimes do. The puff pastry was easy to work with and imparted a nice flaky flavor.

[Dena Eran] These empanadas were a nice change from the meat-filled version that we are all used to. I served them with avocados filled with a nice hot salsa, sliced tomatoes, and a grated carrot salad for a lovely satisfying lunch. I think that if you made these into bite size (two to three inches) they would make a wonderful addition to a cocktail buffet.

On 2.1.04 Melissa Pearlman wrote:
This is a taste delight. and you just cannot stop with one! It is perfect for lunch or dinner. Just have your favorite soup, salad and the empanadas, and everyone will be happy. The ease of preparing it is very much appreciated! Especially nice for vegetarians.

On 7.11.04 Traca wrote:
This was a great recipe. The puff pastry was an excellent idea — perfectly sized. The filling was wonderful. I froze most of them and reheated with great success. This one will be a staple in my house.

On 6.18.05 Andrea wrote:
My sister gave me some puff pastry out of her freezer when she moved, and I scoured the Internet for a recipe. I by chance stumbled upon this recipe — WOW! Everyone RAVED! I'm asked to bring it for every occasion. I would recommend using a gourmet white cheddar that has been aged and 1/2 pound of crimini mushrooms with 1/2 pound of white mushrooms. Decadent!