Empanadas

I'm a huge fan of what I would refer to as either "homemade hot pockets" or "savory hand pies."  I like to make small calzones or empanadas in large batches so they can be frozen and then eaten later for lunches at work.  They are also nice because they can be made with a wide variety of fillings so it is a great way to use up leftover ingredients like vegetables, taco meat, or pepperoni.

I've used lots of different types of dough for making empanadas in the past.  Some recipes call for more of a pizza type dough while others call for more of a biscuit like dough.  I've grown fond of this recipe when making empanadas and it follows more of a biscuit style.

The only special tool that is helpful to have is a pastry blender which is also a necessity for most biscuit making.

I used some delicious ground beef from Colvin ranch that I fried up with some onions, garlic, cumin, and chili powder.

Vent holes are helpful to ensure that the empanadas don't explode while baking in the oven.  I brushed these with an egg white wash after this photo to help them get more color.

Since the filling has has already been cooked the empanadas only need to bake long enough for the dough to get golden brown.  At that point they are ready to eat with a dollop of sour cream and some hot sauce.