Making Empanadas

I've been getting nostalgic for travel lately. It's partly due to the fact that with winter setting in, I'm getting stir crazy from being inside too much. But I also miss the thrill of being on my own with a whole country at my fingertips, with just a bus ride between me and a new adventure. You are so vulnerable while traveling, you must both be able to give your faith openly to people, and be wary of every situation you are in at the same time.
Anyway, one of the most fun evenings I had was in a hostel in Argentina, where there were only three travelers, so the owners, who were a group of friends and family, invited us to eat dinner with them. We decided to pitch in in the preparation, and thus got treated to a lesson in one of Argentina's most famous food traditions: the empanada!


Here is the basic recipe for empanada dough, plus a recipe for cheese and onion filling:
Dough:

Ingredients

3 cups flour (plus a little more for kneading)

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup cold water

1 egg

1 egg white

1 teaspoon vinegar

3 tablespoons shortening

Directions:
In a bowl, beat the water, egg, egg white and vinegar together. Set aside.

In a separate bowl, mix together the 3 cups of flour and salt.

Cut the shortening into the flour mix with a pastry blender or two butter knives. Make a well in the center of the flour mix and pour the liquid ingredients from the first bowl into the center.

Mix the wet and dry ingredients with a fork until it becomes stiff.

Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Knead it just until all the flour is incorporated and the dough is smooth.

Wrap the dough in plastic and refrigerate for at least 1 hour, but never more than 24 hours.

Prepare the work surface by lightly flouring the area where you plan to roll out the dough.

Onion & Cheese Empanada Filling

Filling Ingredients:

Makes 12 medium-sized empanadas.

• 5 Medium sized onions
• 5 tbsp unsalted butter
• 4 cloves of garlic, minced
• 2 Tbl Honey
• 1 Tbl Salt
• 1 Tsp Cayenne Pepper
• 2 Tbl Black Pepper
• 2 Tbl Dried Oregano
• 1/2 C. Mozzerella Cheese or other creamy white cheese
• 4 Tbl Unsalted Butter

Directions:

1. Prepare the onion by peeling and quartering them and then slicing it into thin strips along the grain. (not diced)
2. In a large saute pan on medium-high heat, melt butter and place the garlic (minced) in the pan to cook for 2 minutes.
3. Cook for 3-5 minutes until soft.
4. Add the honey, salt, cayenne pepper, black pepper and oregano and cook for another 1-2 minutes.
5. Remove from heat and allow to cool. Once the mixture is cool, add the cheese and mix well.