Abuelita’s Empanadas de Navidad
As a child, the holidays and Christmas specifically meant time together with family. The majority of my family is still abroad, but when I was under 12, my grandmother on my father’s side was still here with us, and cooking for the family was a love language for my abuelita Lola. Sabajón (and a non-alcoholic version for the kids), empanadas, and squares of just dough because my sister loved the flavor. As an adult, I realize the labor of love that is preparing dough from scratch and hand making individual empanadas, as I’ve practiced enough to know how time consuming it can be and yet how incredible the reward is after.
As a child, the holidays and Christmas specifically meant time together with family. The majority of my family is still abroad, but when I was under 12, my grandmother on my father’s side was still here with us, and cooking for the family was a love language for my abuelita Lola. Sabajón (and a non-alcoholic version for the kids), empanadas, and squares of just dough because my sister loved the flavor. As an adult, I realize the labor of love that is preparing dough from scratch and hand making individual empanadas, as I’ve practiced enough to know how time consuming it can be and yet how incredible the reward is after.
Perhaps it’s the nostalgia, but there is nothing more satisfying than an empanada or two with a café for a quick lunch or bite when hungry. But my abuelita wasn’t just making 10 or 20 empanadas, she must have spent the entire week before Christmas getting everything ready to make over 100 empanadas for all of her loved ones, from neighbors to her kids to her picky grandchildren.
We couldn’t get enough of the dough, it wasn’t like any of the corn empanadas we buy at the stores/bakeries here which are made with a thick, fried corn shell. My abuelita Lola’s dough was made of trigo (flour) and was sweeter in flavor and soft instead of crunchy. The recipe was coveted for years, and long after my abuelita passed, my family and I would continue to try to recreate the recipe as best we could. One year a cousin of mine reached out to my dad admitting she had gotten a copy of the recipe for my abuela’s empanadas and wanted to share it with everyone. We finally had a recipe!
Unfortunately, as recipes go, this wasn’t quite that. I have a list of ingredients with step by step directions on how to assemble, but not enough information regarding the dough (the most vital ingredient!) After a lot of trial and error, including giving the dough time to sit and not, maneuvering it cold vs hot, less and/or more baking powder, fried vs oven baked — nothing comes out just right. For now I hope that when I am making and sealing each empanadita, reminiscing about the days family would get together only for her, my abuelita, I can make them even a fraction as special as she would.
My attempt at making my grandma’s empanada dough.
Rolling the dough out.
Empanada discs.
My moms hands making emapandas.
Traditional filling made with meat and hard boiled egg filling.
Egg washed empanadas ready for the oven.
Empanadas al horno (oven baked empanadas).