A flaky, cristo dough filled with mozzarella and spinach and baked in the oven. Ideal to have in the freezer just in case.
Ever since I moved to Paris every now and then I have desperate cravings for empanadas. However, 9 years ago it was not that easy to find them. Best option was to bake them from scratch. So, after various trials and tests, I kept this recipe as my go to recipe whenever I want to eat empanadas and feel a little closer to Argentina. Hope you like them as much as I do! :)
Yes! Definitely vegetarian food. Not vegan though.
Because it can become too elastic and so it tends to shrink when we roll it out. To avoid this:
How long should the dough for the spinach and mozzarella empanadas should rest in the fridge?
It's called ROUX.
Yes! You can prepare it up to 5 days in advance. Keep in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
Either fresh or frozen. The one thing you have to know, is that if you want to make a big batch and freeze some of the empanadas you must use fresh spinach. You can't freeze something that has previously been frozen.
Yes! This is the key to success when making these spinach and mozzarella empanadas.
This is very important, otherwise the spinach will release the water during cooking, and this will make your spinach and mozzarella empanadas extremely soggy.
Once it has cooled off put the spinach in the center of a kitchen towel, close it and apply pressure by turning the towel (like a tourniquet) in order to remove all the excess water.
Minimum of 4 hours. However, it's better if you refrigerate the filling for your spinach and mozzarella empanadas overnight.
Whichever you like best. I used the one you see in the photo: folding the ends slightly towards the inside and then crimp the dough in 4 different places. As shown in the photo below. You can check my Instagram highlighted stories to see how to make different closings of empanadas.
For approximately 20 minutes. This is not an exact science. It will depend on how thick your empanada dough is, on how many empanadas are being baked at the same time and on the oven you have. So, stay close and be vigilant. They are ready when golden. Then you know.
Yes, you can. Only if you used fresh spinach and not frozen spinach to make your filling.
Line them onto a baking tray or cutting board and cover with plastic wrap. Transfer to the freezer until frozen and then you can get rid of the board/tray and put the empanadas inside freezing bags and put back in the freezer again. You don't do this from the start because you'll end up with one big mess where all your hard work is sticking together and can't be separated without breaking!
You can keep for about 3 months.
Yes, off course! Just be super careful to put freezer plastic papers in between each disc so that they don't stick together. Just have in mind that what's been frozen once cannot go back in the freezer. So, whenever you decide to use the dough for making spinach and mozzarella empanadas (or any other kind of empanada!) is because you are going to eat them!
You can keep them for about 3 months.
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Pastry Chef & Food Photographer
My name is Belén. I am Argentinean living in Paris where I received my training in Cuisine & Pastry at Le Cordon Bleu and L'École Lenôtre. To learn a little more about me click here Belén Gowland.
