Recipe for Empanadas

We've had a couple requests for recipes, so I thought I'd just post it here so everyone can use it!  Please remember that here in Spain, they don't use exact measurements.  They don't have "teaspoons" or "cups"... it's a little bit of this or a lot of that, etc. :)  I've put it as much in American terms as I can, but even then I'm guessing and estimating.  You might have to adjust to your own tastes!

Empanadas by Gaby

Filling:
1.5 lbs. ground beef
2.5-3 lbs. diced onions (yes! it's not a typo!)... I don't know, maybe several large onions.
2 sticks of butter (unsalted, if you can)
cumin- lots of cumin!  (My friend says you know you've used enough when you can take a sniff and smell cumin!)
oregano- a couple dashes
2 vegetable bullion
2 beef bullion
1 T. Paprika

This is best if made the night before and let sit so the flavors mix overnight.  Melt the butter in a saucepan and saute the onions until cooked through.  Brown the ground beef, add the rest of the ingredients and mix.  Store over night in the fridge.

Masa: (dough)
4 cups of flour
2 sticks of cold butter
1 T. salt
1 T. paprika
1 cup of cold water

Pour flour into a bowl, add in the salt and paprika and mix.  Cut in the butter until crumbly.  Add water until desired consistency.  (it's very similar to making a pie crust!)

Hard boil 4 eggs.  Dice and set aside.

Preheat oven to 400ºF.  Roll out dough to about 1/4 in. thick.  We used a snack bowl (maybe a 5in circle) to make the cut-outs.  Fill the circle with 1 T. of the meat and 1 teaspoon of eggs.  Fold it in half and fold/pinch the edges closed (my friend actually twists it closed) and you should be holding a half-moon shaped Empanada! Take a fork and poke a couple holes in each empanada.  This allows the air to escape, so it doesn't puff up. Bake on an un-greased cookie sheet until slightly brown and you can see the filling bubbling out of one or two of them.  About 15 minutes for us here.  (But I do find my oven here in Spain is different from the States!  So, watch your first batch and time if for yourself.)

Yummy!! They freeze and reheat really well, too!! :)  Enjoy! ... and many thanks for my friend Gaby who taught me how to make her family recipe AND allowed me to share it with y'all! :)