Empanaditas

• Ready In: 45 mins
• Serves: 12

Ingredients

• 1⁄2 lb ground beef
• 1⁄4 cup onion, finely chopped, 1 medium
• 2  tablespoons raisins, finely chopped
• 2  tablespoons green olives, chopped
• 1⁄4 teaspoon salt
• 1⁄8 teaspoon pepper
• 1⁄4 cup  cream-style small curd cottage cheese
• 1  large egg, hard cooked, peeled and chopped
• 1  large egg, separated
• 1  teaspoon water
• 1 (10 inch)  double crust pie crusts
• 2  teaspoons milk

Directions

1. Cook and stir ground beef in 10-inch skillet, breaking up into small pieces, until brown; drain reserving 1 T of fat and the beef in the skillet.
2. Stir in onion, raisins, olives,salt and pepper.
3. Cover and cook over low heat for 5 minutes.
4. Stir in cottage cheese and hard cooked egg.
5. Heat oven to 400°F.
6. Mix egg white and water until slightly foamy; reserve.
7. Prepare pastry dough; gather into a ball.
8. Divide into halves.
9. Shape into 2 flattened rounds on lightly floured cloth covered surface.
10. Roll 1 round of pasty into circle, about 14 inches in diameter.
11. Cut into 11 or 12 circles, 3 1/2-inches in diameter.
12. Spoon on 2 t of the beef mixture at the center of each circle; brush edge of pastry with egg white mixture.
13. Fold pastry circle up over filling; press edge with fork to seal. place empanaditas on ungreased cookie sheet.
14. Repeat with remaining pastry circles.
15. Gather any remaining pastry; shape into another round.
16. Repeat rolling cutting and filling.
17. Beat egg yolk and milk until well blended; brush over tops of empanaditas.
18. Bake until golden brown, 15 to 20 minutes.
19. Serve warm.