Beef Empanadas

To make the empanada dough, first melt the butter.

In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Stir in the melted butter then, using your fingertips, rub together until crumbly. In a small bowl, beat the egg then stir in the milk. Gradually stir the egg mixture into the flour mixture. Gently knead the dough to bring it together into a ball then flatten into a disk. Wrap with plastic wrap and let rest for 15 minutes.

To make the filling, finely chop the onion and garlic. In a large skillet, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring often, for 5 to 6 minutes, until softened. Stir in the garlic. Add the meat, breaking it up with a spoon until crumbly, and cook 6 to 8 minutes, until browned. Stir in the paprika, cumin, oregano, cayenne, salt, and 2 tablespoons of water and cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Remove from the heat. Chop the cilantro and olives and stir into the mixture. Let cool.

Heat the oven (with the oven rack in the middle) to 375°F. Line a sheet pan with parchment.

For the egg wash, in a small bowl, beat together the egg.

On a floured surface, roll out the dough to ⅛ inch thick. Using a 4-inch round cookie cutter, cut out circles of dough. Roll out the scraps as well. Spoon about 2 tablespoons of the filling into the center of each circle, leaving a ½-inch border. Brush the edges of the dough with the egg wash. Fold the dough over to form a semicircle. Pinch the edges together to seal, then press together with the tines of a fork. Place on the prepared sheet pan.

Brush the tops with the egg wash. Bake 25 to 30 minutes, until golden brown. Serve hot or at room temperature with or without hot sauce.