Homemade Empanadas with Essential Oil

Impress the mom in your life this Mother’s Day with a delicious dinner of homemade empanadas that incorporate the benefits of pure black pepper and marjoram essential oil. This recipe is also perfect for your Cinco de Mayo celebration.

Homemade Empanadas

Servings: Yield 9 empanadas | Time: 1 hour active; 1 hour, 10 minutes inactive | Difficulty: Easy

Dough Ingredients:

• 2 1/4 cups flour
• 1 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1/2 cup butter (cold)
• 1 egg
• 1/3 cup ice water
• 1 Tbs. white distilled vinegar

Filling Ingredients:

• 1 tsp. olive oil
• 1/4 cup yellow onion, diced
• 1 cup cooked ground beef
• 1 tsp. beef bouillon
• 1/2 cup water
• 1 tsp. minced garlic
• 1 drop marjoram essential oil
• 1 toothpick black pepper essential oil (dip the toothpick in the oil, and then stir the toothpick around in the meat mixture)
• Salt to taste
• 9 black olives
• 3 hardboiled eggs, peeled and sliced into three pieces each

Instructions:

1. In a large bowl, stir together the flour and salt.
2. Cut the butter into small chunks, and then add it to the flour mixture. Using your fingers or a pastry cutter, incorporate the butter into the flour. The mixture should resemble coarse meal when you are finished with just small butter lumps.
3. In a separate bowl, whisk together the egg, ice water, and vinegar. Stir the wet ingredients into the flour mixture just enough to moisten it.
4. Place the dough on a lightly floured surface, and knead it with your hands a couple of times.
5. Form the dough into a flat circle, wrap it with plastic wrap, and put it in the refrigerator to chill for an hour.
6. Preheat your oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.
7. Pour the olive oil into a medium-size frying pan. Add the diced onion, and saute over medium heat until just tender.
8. Add the ground beef, water, and garlic to the frying pan. Bring to a boil, and then reduce the heat and let simmer for a couple minutes.
9. Remove the meat mixture from the heat, and add marjoram essential oil, black pepper essential oil, and salt.
10. Once the dough has chilled properly, remove it from the fridge, and divide it into 9 equal balls. Roll each piece of dough as thin as you can into a circle.
11. Place some of the meat mixture on one half of the dough circle, and place a slice of egg and an olive on top.
12. Dip your finger in water, and run it along one side of the dough circle to help the empanada seal shut.
13. Fold the dough over to make a half circle, and use your fingers to seal the edge. Repeat until all of the empanadas have been filled.
14. Place the prepared empanadas on a greased baking sheet, and bake them for 10 minutes, or until the bottoms are lightly browned and the tops are barely golden.
15. Let cool for a few minutes and then serve warm. You can serve the empanadas alone or with your choice of dipping sauce.
16. Enjoy!