Strawberry and Cream Empanadas

Ingredients:

Filling

• 220 g strawberries, hulled and diced
• 2 tbsp. l. + 1 tsp. granulated sugar
• 450 g of cream cheese at room temperature
• 1 tbsp. grated fresh ginger
• 18 empanada dough circles, 8 cm in diameter.
• Powdered sugar, for dusting
• Empanada dough

4 cups premium flour + extra for working with the dough

• 1.5 tsp salt
• 0.5 cups of confectionery fat
• 1 egg

Preparation:

1. Mix diced strawberries with 2 tablespoons granulated sugar and set aside for 30 minutes.
2. Preheat oven to 200°C. Combine cream cheese, grated ginger, and remaining granulated sugar in a bowl. Beat well.
3. Place a circle of dough on the counter and spoon a 2.5 cm heaping dollop of cream cheese into the center. Add 3-4 diced strawberries. Fold the filling into the dough, sealing it with your fingers or a fork, and repeat with the remaining dough and filling.
4. Bake until golden brown, about 10 minutes. Dust with powdered sugar. Serve warm or at room temperature.

5. Empanada dough

   
   Yield: about 24 circles
   
   Combine flour and salt in a bowl. Mix the fat into the flour mixture with a metal spoon or your hands until smooth.
   
   Mix the egg with 2/3 cup of room temperature water. Add 0.5 cups of the egg mixture to the flour and stir until the dough begins to come together. Continue kneading the dough, adding more egg mixture as needed (you may need a little more water). The dough should be smooth. Cover the dough with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 1 hour, but preferably overnight.
   
   Place the dough on a floured surface, roll out to the desired thickness and cut out using an 8cm round cutter.