Chicken Mole Empanadas
Makes: 12 empanadas Prep: 20 minutes
Chill: 1 hour
Bake: 18 minutes
Cook: 17 minutes
Ingredients
Dough:
2-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup yellow cornmeal
2 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup (1 stick) cold unsalted butter
1 egg
Filling:
1 medium-size onion, chopped
1 green pepper, seeded and chopped
2 cloves garlic, sliced
1 tablespoon ancho chile powder
1 small zucchini, trimmed and chopped
1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and chopped
1 pound ground chicken
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1 ounce unsweetened chocolate, chopped
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 tsp. salt
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
1 egg, mixed with 2 tablespoons water
Directions
1. Dough: In a food processor, combine flour, cornmeal, sugar and salt. Pulse to blend. Cut up butter; add to processor. Pulse until incorporated. Add egg and 1/2 cup water; pulse until dough begins to hold together. Gather dough into a disk; refrigerate at least 1 hour.
2. Filling: Coat a large nonstick pot with nonstick cooking spray. Heat over medium heat, and add onion, green pepper, garlic and chile powder. Cook 5 minutes. Add zucchini and jalapeno; cook another 3 minutes, adding a little water if too dry. Stir in chicken, breaking apart with a spoon. Cook 6 minutes, until chicken is no longer pink. Stir in tomato paste, chocolate, sugar and salt. Cook 3 minutes to blend flavors. Remove from heat and stir in lime juice. Let cool.
3. Heat oven to 400°F. Divide dough into 12 equal pieces. Roll one piece into a 6-inch circle. Repeat with remaining dough, for a total of 12 circles. Transfer dough circles to two nonstick baking sheets. Place 1/3 cup filling on one half of a dough round, then brush edge with water. Fold over to enclose filling. Press edge together, then crimp with a fork. Repeat with all dough rounds and filling. Brush empanadas with egg-water mixture.
4. Bake at 400°F for 18 minutes or until light brown around edges. Transfer to a platter. Serve warm.
Note: You can assemble and freeze these before baking. When ready to bake, do not thaw; transfer still frozen to baking sheet and increase baking time to 25 minutes.
