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Black Bean and Corn Empanada
from the kitchen of Sharmagne Leland-St.John

Dough:
4 cups flour
1 ½ teaspoons salt (or to taste), divided
3 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons chilled sweet butter
12 tablespoons chilled lard
¾ to 1 cup water
2 egg yolks

Filling:
2 tablespoons butter
4 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
½ cup red onion, peeled and chopped
1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 can corn, drained and rinsed
1 tablespoon ground cumin
1 tablespoon chili powder
1 cup shredded jalapeño cheese
3 tablespoons fresh lime juice, to taste
Salt and black pepper to taste
2-3 tablespoons flour
Lime wedges, to serve

Heat the butter in a heavy skillet, over medium heat. Add the garlic and onion
and sauté until softened. Add the beans and corn, the cumin, chili powder and
salt and pepper to taste. Sauté until warmed through, approximately 5 minutes.
Remove from heat. Add the lime juice and shredded cheese. Stir until melted and
combined. Season to taste as needed.

Set the filling aside.

Sift the flour into a bowl. Stir in 1 teaspoon salt and the sugar. Blend the
butter and lard into the flour mixture with a pastry cutter or with two
knives, until well blended. Whisk the egg yolks with ¾ cups water. Stir
in ½ cup of the water/egg mixture, a little bit at a time, until the dough
starts to come together smoothly. Keep kneading the dough, adding more of the
water/egg mixture as needed until the dough is smooth. If needed, add extra
water by the tablespoon.

Cover the dough with plastic wrap and refrigerate for one hour.

Preheat oven to 400ºF

On a clean floured surface, roll out dough to the desired thickness. Using a 4
inch round cutter (or a large wine glass), cut 8 circles in the dough.

To make each empanada, place 2 tablespoons of the prepared filling into the
centre of each dough circle. Use a pastry brush to cover the edges of the dough
with a bit of the beaten egg mixture. Press the edges of the dough together and
seal with the tines of a fork. Arrange the empanadas on a baking sheet, and
brush them all over with the egg mixture . Bake for 10-12 minutes, until golden
brown and slightly puffed.

Garnish with the lime wedges and serve.

 

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