These are a lighter take on the deep fried version – just as tasty and a whole lot easier. By using puff pastry, you can achieve a rich quality without the splattering oil and the need to serve immediately that comes with frying. If you’re catering to a vegetarian crowd, substitute cheese, diced onions, and mushrooms instead of the beef.
Yield: 20 pieces
In a large sauté pan on medium heat, add oil. Add garlic and sauté until lightly brown, about 30 seconds. Add beef, chili powder, and paprika and stir well. Season with salt and pepper. Cook until beef is just cooked through with some pink remaining, about 4 minutes. Remove from heat. Add peppers and mix well.
Preheat oven to 425˚F. Using a 2 1/2’’ cookie cutter, cut as many rounds as possible from pastry sheets. Stuff each round with a heaping tablespoon of meat and fold dough in half. Crimp edges with your fingers and seal across entire edge with the back of a fork. Put empanadas on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Lightly brush top side with egg. If serving immediately, bake until empanadas are light golden brown and fluffy, about 10 minutes. If not, wrap and refrigerate, then bake for 12–15 minutes.
In the bowl of a food processor, add cilantro, lime juice, and mayonnaise. Season with salt. Pulse until well-combined, about 1 minute. Wrap and refrigerate sauce until serving.
