Corn and Poblano Empanadas
These empanadas are reminiscent of my travels to South America. You can use fresh, frozen, or canned corn. The large kernels of canned hominy are more like the choclo found in Argentina.
Masa harina, used to make corn tortillas and tamales, yields a more richly flavored and textured dough than that made with flour alone. A food processor pulses the dough to the perfect consistency in the blink of an eye.
Best of all, these empanadas are baked, not fried, so they are never greasy.
Ingredients
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
3/4 cup masa harina
3/4 teaspoon salt, divided
1/2 teaspoon chili powder
1/2 cup water
2 tablespoons butter, cut into small pieces
2 poblano peppers
cooking spray (such as Pam®)
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 1/2 cups corn kernels (about 3 ears fresh)
3/4 cup shredded Oaxaca or mozzarella cheese
1 large egg white
1 tablespoon water
Instructions
Preheat oven to 500°F. Combine flour, masa harina, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and chili powder in a food processor. Pulse 3 times. Add water and butter. Pulse until mixture forms a loose ball. Remove from processor; knead until ball completely forms. Divide dough into 8 equal portions. Shape each dough portion into a ball, then flatten each ball into a 3-inch circle on a lightly floured surface. Stack dough portions between pieces of wax paper. Cover and chill 30 minutes.
Place poblanos on a foil-lined baking sheet. Back at 500°F for 20 minutes or until browned and blistered, turning once. Place in a Ziploc bag and seal. Let stand 15 minutes, then peel and slice lengthwise. Discard seeds and membranes, then finely chop peppers and place in a medium bowl.
Reduce oven to 425°F. Heat a nonstick skillet coated with cooking spray over medium-high heat. Add garlic; sautè 30 seconds. Add 1/2 teaspoon salt and corn; sautè 3 minutes. Add to poblanos in bowl. Let stand 5 minutes, then stir in cheese.
Roll each dough portion into a 5-inch circle. Working with 1 circle at a time (cover remaining dough with a damp towel to prevent drying), spoon 3 level table spoons of corn filling into center of each circle. Moisten edges of dough with water; fold dough over filling. Press edges together with a fork to seal. Place empanadas on a large baking sheet coated with cooking spray or lined with a Silpat® baking mat. Combine egg white with 1 tablespoon water. Lightly coat tops of empanadas with egg mixture. Pierce top of dough with a fork. Bake at 425°F for 20 minutes or until lightly browned.