The 2019 holiday season was definitely the season of coquito. It was also the year of experimenting with different flavors of coquito. After last month’s Pumpkin Spice Coquito was such a hit, I decided to keep trying new things. I had been meaning to try to make chocolate coquito for a while, but I kept putting it off. This was finally the year that it happened.
Using bittersweet chocolate for the chocolate coquito ensures that you add a good amount of chocolate flavor without adding too much additional sweetness. The cream of coconut and the condensed milk are already plenty sweet. It tastes almost like a spiked chocolate milk with a hint of coconut and spices!
The recipe makes enough chocolate coquito to fill about 6 12oz bottles for gifting, or 1 64oz bottle with a little extra to stash for yourself. If you like it stronger, you can add more rum until it’s your desired potency. Just remember that it intensifies as it sits.
Chocolate Coquito
Ingredients
1 cinnamon stick
1 14oz can sweetened condensed milk
1 12oz can evaporated milk
1 13.5oz can coconut milk
1 14oz can cream of coconut (I use Coco Lopez)
6oz bittersweet chocolate, chopped
2 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp nutmeg
2 cups Puerto Rican rum (I used dark rum)
Directions
Place the chopped chocolate in a heat-proof bowl and set aside.
In a small saucepan, heat the evaporated milk and the cinnamon stick until the milk just starts to simmer. Remove the cinnamon stick and pour the milk over the chopped chocolate. Stir until the chocolate is completely melted and the mixture is smooth.
Combine the remaining ingredients with the chocolate mixture in a blender. Blend until smooth. Taste and adjust spices as needed. Pour into a large bottle (or multiple smaller bottles) and refrigerate. Serve cold.
Right after Halloween, a good friend of mine gave me a bunch of her leftover Halloween candy. She had a condition, though. I was only allowed to take the candy if I agreed to use it for baking, NOT if I was just going to eat it or fill my candy jar at work. When I was throwing around ideas of what to make, her eyes lit up at the thought of a Twix Cheesecake.
Challenge accepted.
I used my Snickers Cheesecake as the blueprint for this cheesecake, and just made a few adjustments to make it more Twix-like. There are Twix pieces in the cheesecake batter, so you enjoy the goodness of Twix in almost every bite.
I used an Oreo crust for mine, but using a shortbread crust would make it even more reminiscent of Twix. There is a layer of caramel sandwiched between the cheesecake and the crust, and it’s topped with a satiny chocolate ganache.
Pressure Cooker Twix Cheesecake
Ingredients
1 cup crushed Oreo cookie crumbs (can substitute with shortbread crumbs)
1 tbsp butter (increase to 2 if using shortbread crumbs)
16oz cream cheese, room temperature
1/2 cup sugar
2 large eggs, room temperature
1/4 cup sour cream
1 cup chopped Twix pieces (I used about 12 Twix minis)
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 cup caramel sauce (I used homemade)
2 1/2 oz chopped semisweet chocolate
1/4 cup heavy cream
Additional Twix for garnish, if desired
Directions
In a bowl, combine melted butter and cookie crumbs until moistened through. Press cookie crumbs firmly on the bottom of a greased 7in cheesecake pan. If you’d like, bake at 350° for 6-7 minutes before preparing the batter. Pour the caramel sauce over the crust and set aside.
In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat the cream cheese and sugar until smooth. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well with each addition. Add the sour cream and vanilla extract, and beat until just combined. Fold in the chopped Twix pieces.
Add 1 cup of water to the liner of your electric pressure cooker and set to Saute/Brown setting. Let the water come to a simmer.
Pour batter into prepared cheesecake pan, then set the pan in your pressure cooker on a trivet over the simmering water (add a little bit more water if too much has evaporated). Hit cancel, then seal the pressure cooker and cook on Manual (High pressure) for 20-25 minutes. Allow the pressure to release naturally, which should take 10-15 minutes. Remove the cheesecake from the pressure cooker and allow to cool completely on a wire rack. Refrigerate at least 4 hours, but preferably overnight, before removing from the pan.
Melt the chopped semisweet chocolate and the heavy cream together in the microwave in 15-second bursts, stirring after each burst until most of the chocolate has melted. Continue stirring until all of the chocolate has melted and the mixture is smooth. Pour over the cooled Twix cheesecake. Allow the ganache to set before serving, then garnish with additional Twix pieces.
Every year, it seems like I start making coquito earlier and earlier. This year, I made my first batch right after Halloween. I defended myself, however, in that I was experimenting to see if making a pumpkin spice version would work. Long story short: yes it did. Since then, I have made a few more batches of pumpkin spice coquito. I have also had a few requests for the recipe, which I have been sitting on for several weeks. But, better late than never!
You can store your pumpkin spice coquito in small bottles to give as gifts, or you can pour your finished coquito in a large bottle to serve at a party. It should keep for a while if refrigerated. It has a tendency to separate, but will come back together if you give it a vigorous shake before you drink it.
Pumpkin Spice Coquito
Ingredients
1 cup water
2 cinnamon sticks
10 whole cloves
1 15oz can pumpkin puree
1 14oz can sweetened condensed milk
1 12oz can evaporated milk
1 13.5oz can coconut milk
1 14oz can cream of coconut (I use Coco Lopez)
2 tsp vanilla extract
1 1/2 tsp pumpkin pie spice
2 cups Puerto Rican rum (I use Bacardi Oakheart)
Directions
In a small saucepan, combine the water 2 cinnamon sticks, and 10 cloves. Bring to a boil and cook until the water has reduced to about 1/3 cup. Remove from heat and set aside to cool, then discard the whole spices
Combine the remaining ingredients in a blender (if you have a smaller blender, you might need to do this in batches). Add the spiced water. Blend until combined. Pour the pumpkin spice coquito into bottles or jars and refrigerate until ready to serve.
While the rest of the country is enjoying the changing colors of autumn, we South Floridians have to make do with palm trees and sun. That doesn’t mean that we can’t get into the spirit of fall with some great fall spices, though! And, since October is the month for Halloween candy, I thought it would be fun to celebrate with homemade candy. Chocolate covered apple cider caramels, to be exact.
I originally stumbled across these while I was looking for a way to infuse apple flavor in caramel. It seemed like it had already been done before by adding apple cider syrup to the caramel mixture. You can buy premade apple cider syrup and save yourself a lot of time and trouble, but you can also make your own by buying a quart of cider and boiling it down on your own. And, I made them extra decadent by covering them in chocolate.
One thing that I noticed about the apple cider caramels is that they need to be cooked to a higher temperature than traditional caramel recipes. I was squeamish on my first attempt and cooked my caramel to 249 degrees. I wound up eating that caramel with a spoon. For these, I cooked my caramel to 253 degrees and they still needed to be kept in the refrigerator to stay firm enough to dip. I recommend using compound chocolate or chocolate melting wafers instead of chocolate that needs to be tempered for dipping the caramels. Otherwise, your cold caramel squares will ruin your temper during the dipping process.
1/2 cup boiled cider (see *NOTE at the end of this recipe)
1/2 cup (1 stick) of unsalted butter
1 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup light brown sugar
1/2 cup heavy cream
1/4 cup light corn syrup (optional, but will help with crystallization)
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
Dark chocolate melting wafers (I used about 12oz)
Directions
Line the bottom and sides of an 8in square baking dish with parchment paper. Alternately, you can use silicone molds. I used silicone mini brownie molds.
In a medium, heavy bottomed saucepan, combine the cider, butter, sugars, cream, corn syrup, and salt. Cook over medium-high heat until the temperature reaches 253 degrees or until the mixture reaches the firm ball stage. Remove from heat and quickly stir in the cinnamon.
Pour the mixture into your prepared pan (or molds). Let the caramel cool completely, at least 2 hours. Remove caramel from pan and cut into small squares. If caramel is too soft to cut easily, refrigerate it to firm it up.
Melt the dark chocolate using your preferred method of melting. Dip the caramel squares into the melted chocolate, one at a time. Set on a parchment-lined baking sheet to allow the chocolate to cool and harden. Store candies in an airtight container.
*NOTE: If you cannot find boiled cider, you can make your own by boiling 1 quart of cider and reducing it until you have about 1/2 cup of liquid left.
I love dips, but I hate mayo. So, whenever someone brings buffalo chicken dip to a party, I get excited for a brief moment before I remember that it is almost always made with mayo.
So, what is a mayo-averse blogger to do? Make her own version, of course! So, mayo haters can rejoice. You can now have your buffalo chicken dip, and eat it, too! I make mine in the Instant Pot for ease, but you can also do it on the stove top if that is your preference.
Before getting started, get your ingredients ready. You will want about 1lb to 1 1/2lbs of boneless skinless chicken breast. My local latino grocery store sells huge breasts, so I only needed one.
First, cook the chicken breast. Add 1 cup of water to the liner of your pressure cooker, then add the chicken breast. Cook on High Pressure for about 20 minutes. If your chicken breasts are especially big, you might need to add a few extra minutes.
While the chicken is cooking, you can cube your cream cheese and shred your cheddar so that it’s ready when the chicken is done. Once the timer goes off, let the pressure release naturally, but do not turn off the pressure cooker. Let it stay on “Keep Warm.”
After all of the pressure is released, open the pressure cooker, drain all of the liquid, and shred the chicken.
After you shred the chicken, add the buffalo sauce. Add the cubed cream cheese next, and stir until all of the cream cheese has melted. Add the shredded cheddar cheese, a little bit at a time, making sure each time that the cheese is completely melted before you add more.
Once all of the cheddar is melted in, add the blue cheese dressing and the crumbled blue cheese. Stir until it is all combined.
Buffalo chicken dip is best served hot. The dip can be made in advance and frozen until ready to use. I like to serve it with crackers or bagel chips, but I have also seen it served with tortilla chips. If you’re keeping it low-carb, try eating it with carrot or celery sticks, or in lettuce wraps.
Pressure Cooker Buffalo Chicken Dip
Ingredients
1-1 1/2lbs boneless skinless chicken breasts
1 cup of water
8oz of cream cheese, cut into cubes
8oz cheddar cheese, shredded
4oz blue cheese, crumbled
1/4 cup blue cheese dressing
1 cup buffalo sauce
Directions
Add the chicken broth and the water to the liner of your electric pressure cooker. Cover, seal, and cook on High Pressure for 20 minutes (large pieces of chicken may need additional time). Allow the pressure to release naturally. Leave the pressure cooker on the Keep Warm setting.
Strain the water and shred the chicken. Add the buffalo sauce and stir until combined. Add the cream cheese and stir until the cream cheese is melted.
Stir in the shredded cheddar cheese, a little bit at a time, until all of the cheese has been added and mixture is smooth. Add the blue cheese sauce, and then the crumbled blue cheese. Serve the buffalo chicken dip hot.
I’m really not sure why, after many years of endless mangoes, it took this long for me to try to make mango cupcakes. But, 2019 was the year, and they were LONG overdue. The combination of a vanilla bean cupcake with mango filling and frosting was absolute magic.
My first attempt at these cupcakes was just the vanilla cupcake and the mango frosting. It was very good, but I really wanted to try to find a way to shove more mango flavor in there. A creamy mango curd fit the bill for me, but you could also use a mango jam if you prefer.
Add all of the curd ingredients (except butter) in a small saucepan and cook over medium-low heat until it reaches a pudding-like consistency. Strain the mixture through a fine mesh strainer, then stir in the cubed butter until it’s all melted and the mixture is smooth.
At this point, your curd is ready to use, but you can also store it in an airtight container in the refrigerator for a few days until you’re ready to use it.
The frosting is similar to what most people call “boiled icing” or “heritage frosting.” That is, it’s made with a cooked flour paste that is mixed with butter and sugar.
Melt 1/4 cup of butter in a small saucepan, then whisk in your flour until smooth. When the flour starts to sizzle a little, add the mango puree and a little bit of lemon juice. Cook this until it turns into a soft dough-like consistency. Transfer to a small bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Let it cool completely. You can speed this up by putting it in the refrigerator while you make the cupcakes.
Meanwhile, make the cupcakes. Sift your dry ingredients and set them aside. Using a whisk attachment, beat the eggs until they’re foamy first, then add the sugar, oil, and vanilla bean paste. Mix in your dry ingredients alternately with the buttermilk, mixing until just combined.
Line your cupcake tin with cupcake liners. Divide the batter evenly among your cupcake liners. The recipe normally makes about 15 cupcakes for me, so I also fill 3 cavities of a 6-cup cupcake tin. Bake them for about 12-14 minutes, then let them cool completely on a wire rack.
When the cupcakes are cool, you can fill them with the mango curd. I like to use a piping bag fitted with a Bismark tip to do this, but you can also cut a hole in the middle of each cupcake with a paring knife or apple corer and spoon some filling in. Here is a great guide for methods of filling a cupcake.
To finish the mango frosting, take 1/2 cup of softened butter and add the cooled mango flour paste and 2/3 cup of sugar. Using the paddle attachment, beat the ingredients until the mixture is smooth and you can’t feel the sugar grains. Frost the cupcakes in your preferred fashion. I used a piping bag and a 1M pastry tip.
You should store the cupcakes in the refrigerator, but they taste best if you bring them to room temperature before you eat them.
Mango Cupcakes
Ingredients
For the mango filling:
1/2 cup fresh mango puree
1/4 cup sugar
3 eggs
1 tbsp cornstarch
a pinch of salt
1 tsp lemon juice
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter
For the cupcakes:
1 1/4 cups all purpose flour
1 1/4 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
2 eggs
3/4 cups sugar
2 tsp vanilla bean paste (or vanilla extract)
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup buttermilk
For the mango frosting:
3/4 cup unsalted butter, softened
2 1/2 tablespoons unbleached all-purpose flour
1/2 cup mango puree
2/3 cup sugar
1 tsp lemon juice
Directions
Make the mango filling:
Combine all of the curd ingredients (except the butter) in a blender. Blend until smooth. Transfer mixture to a small saucepan and cook over medium to medium-low heat, whisking constantly, until the mixture thickens to a pudding like consistency.
Remove from heat and whisk in the butter, one cube at a time, until fully incorporated. Cover with plastic wrap and set aside to cool. You can strain through a fine mesh strainer to remove any lumps, if you wish.
(Curd can be made in advance. Store in refrigerator until ready to use, then bring to room temperature.)
Make the cupcakes: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line a standard muffin pan with paper liners.
Sift your dry ingredients into a medium bowl and set aside.
In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat your eggs with the whisk attachment on medium speed. Add your sugar and continue mixing until the egg and sugar mixture starts to turn light in color. Add your vanilla and oil and beat for about 1 minute, until well combined.
Add your flour mixture alternately with the buttermilk, beginning and ending with the flour mixture. Pour into the prepared muffin pan, filling each cavity about 1/2 full.
Bake in the preheated oven for 12-14 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Remove from oven and allow to cool for at least 10 minutes before removing from the pan.
Make the frosting: In a saucepan, melt ¼ cup of butter. Add the flour and cook for 1 minute, stirring constantly. Add the fruit puree and lemon juice and bring to a boil, stirring with a whisk. Simmer gently for about 30 seconds, stirring constantly.
Pour into a bowl, cover with plastic wrap directly on the mixture and let cool to room temperature.
Add the sugar, the remaining butter, and the cooled mango flour paste to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment and beat with an electric mixer for about 5 minutes or until the frosting is smooth and creamy.
Assembly:
Fill the cupcakes with the mango filling using your preferred method. Frost the top of each cupcake with mango frosting. Refrigerate until ready to serve, then bring to room temperature.
I’m at that age where your doctor starts telling you that you’re going to kill yourself if you don’t start treating your body better. So, I’ve been trying to stick to low carb, high protein meals lately. There are some hits and some misses, but overall I am enjoying everything that I am eating, like this creamy chicken soup.
Although it’s not as thick and creamy as a roux-based soup, it is actually really delicious. You can probably thicken it with xantham gum if you are so inclined. If you don’t care about the carbs, then roux away!
Pressure Cooker Creamy Chicken Soup
(Adapted from this recipe)
Ingredients
2 lbs boneless skinless chicken breast
5oz sliced shitake mushrooms
2 cloves of garlic
6 slices of thick cut bacon
4oz celery, chopped
1/3 cup white cooking wine (or use water)
4oz cream cheese, cut into cubes
1/2 cup heavy cream
3 cups chicken stock
1/2 tbsp dried parsley
salt and pepper to taste
Directions
Set the liner of your electric pressure cooker to the Saute/Browning setting. When it’s hot, add the bacon and cook until crispy. Remove from the pressure cooker, crumble, and set aside.
Drain all but 1 tbsp of bacon grease from the pressure cooker liner. Add the garlic and saute until it starts to turn brown. Add the celery and mushrooms and cook until they start to soften. Add the wine (or water) and cook until the most of the liquid has evaporated, scraping the browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Season with salt and pepper.
Add the chicken breast, chicken stock, and parsley. Cover, seal, and cook on High Pressure for 25 minutes. When the timer is up, allow the pressure to release naturally.
Uncover the pot and add the cream cheese and the heavy cream. Stir until the cream cheese has all melted. Taste and adjust seasoning as needed, then stir in the crumbled bacon. Serve hot.
Creme brulee is one of my absolute favorite desserts. It is also one of my go-to desserts for when I have egg yolks or heavy cream lying around that I need to use up in a hurry. This Irish Cream creme brulee always gets rave reviews whenever I make it. And, making it in my Instant Pot has made it so much easier.
I find that you don’t need as many egg yolks when you make it in the Instant Pot to get the smooth, silky finished custard. And, it’s done in a fraction of the time!
Creme brulee tastes best if you let it refrigerate at least overnight to develop the flavor. So, make sure to plan ahead!
Pressure Cooker Irish Cream Creme Brulee
Ingredients
2 cups heavy cream
1/3 cup granulated sugar
4 egg yolks
1/4 cup Irish cream
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
Additional sugar for the top
Directions
In a medium, heat-proof bowl, whisk the egg yolks, Irish cream, and vanilla. Set aside.
In a small saucepan, heat the cream and sugar until the sugar is dissolved and the mixture starts to simmer. Do not let it come to a boil.
Remove from the heat. Gradually add the cream mixture to the egg mixture, 1/4 cup at a time, whisking constantly. When about 1/3 of the cream mixture has been incorporated, pour in the rest of the cream mixture and whisk until incorporated.
Divide the mixture evenly among 6 4oz ramekins. Cover each ramekin with foil.
Place a trivet in the liner of your electric pressure cooker and add 1 cup of water. Arrange the ramekins in 2 layers in the pressure cooker. Cover, seal, and cook on High Pressure for 1 minute. When the timer is up, let the pressure release naturally for 10 minutes before releasing any remaining pressure.
Remove ramekins and cool completely on a wire rack. Cover and refrigerate for at least 4 hours, but preferably overnight.
To serve: Add about a teaspoon of sugar to the top of the cold custard, tilting the ramekin around so the entire surface is coated with sugar. Use a kitchen torch to melt the sugar until caramelized and bubbly. Allow to sit for 5 minutes before serving.
Another year, another onslaught of mangoes. This was a light year for mangoes. The late spring rains knocked a lot of mangoes out of trees prematurely, so it was a small harvest this year. Still, Mango Madness Part 6 managed to trudge along. And, I was still able to try a lot of new things to make with mango.
At one point, I resorted to buying mangoes from the grocery store. They are just not the same, but they work in a pinch.
So, what are some new ideas to use mango? Let’s see!
This mango chile sauce is great because it comes together easily in an electric pressure cooker. It is also very forgiving, so you can use overripe mangoes without any negative impact. Check out the recipe here.
Mango makes great filling for donuts. If you’re the jam type, you can fill the donuts with mango jam. I prefer cream, so I filled mine with mango pastry cream to make these mango creme brulee donuts.
Use your ripe mango to cool off this summer by adding it to a cholado. This Colombian shaved ice dessert is like a cross between a sno cone and a fruit salad. Try this recipe. You won’t be disappointed.
Mango passion fruit bars can be made by following this recipe. Just replace 1 cup of the passion fruit with mango puree. These are great to take to a potluck.
If you have a food dehydrator and too many mangoes, make mango fruit leather! Just mix some mango puree with a little bit of honey and a few drops of lemon juice, then follow the instructions for your particular brand of food dehydrator to make the fruit leather.
If you’re truly ambitious and adventurous, try making mango truffles. The white chocolate mango filling is kind of runny, so these can’t be made by hand-rolling.
Replace the passion fruit puree with mango puree in this recipe and you’ve got mango caramels! Heads up, they crystallize very quickly, so they need to be eaten within a day or two.
Mango butter is another great recipe if you’re looking to get use up a LOT of mango at one time. It needs to cook for at least 2 hours, so you’ll want to clear your afternoon to make it.
Mango syrup can be used in many different ways. Use it to top waffles or pancakes, to sweeten beverages, or brush it on sponge cake to add moisture.
Mango Madness Part 6 was great fun, and I was newly inspired. I can’t wait to do this again next year.
I learned to make empanadas from my mother. She wasn’t exactly the most patient instructor, but she DID teach me very well. I’ve probably had about a decade’s worth of practice now, and I dare say that I can barely taste the difference between her empanadas and mine anymore.
I have gotten requests for the recipe over the years, but I never actually got around to writing it down. So, now I’m forcing myself to. I actually changed the original stove-top preparation of the empanada filling and now make it in my Instant Pot. I got my mother an Instant Pot this year, and now she’s been making empanada filling in hers as well
The filling comes together in a single pot. First you pressure cook the meat, and then you add the potato, scallions, and seasonings and cook uncovered until hardly any liquid remains. Taste and adjust your seasonings, and the filling is ready.
I normally let the filling cool to room temperature before I start assembling my empanadas, just so that it’s easier to work with. After that, I make the dough and then assemble the empanadas. I will try to update this post later with pictures of the empanada assembly process.
I fry my empanadas in a deep fryer to make temperature control easier. You can fry these on the stove as well. Just make sure that your oil is at 350-375 degrees F
I like to let my fried empanadas drain on a rack over a baking sheet for a few minutes and then transfer them to a dish lined with paper towels
Voila! Beautiful empanadas that you won’t be able to eat just one of. They are a lot of work, but they are so worth the trouble in the end.
We typically eat empanadas with aji (Colombian-style salsa). This recipe looks similar to what we use in my family.
A few notes:
If you have an air fryer, you can reheat empanadas at 350 degrees for about 7 minutes for maximum crisp factor. You can also reheat them in the oven. I like to freeze them in vacuum-sealed portions and reheat in my air fryer (heat for 10 minutes from frozen).
Microwaving leftover empanadas is not recommended, as they will be soggy.
You can freeze leftover empanada filling to use later. I sometimes make a double batch so that I can freeze half. Frozen empanada filling should keep for about 3 months. Defrost in the fridge when you’re ready to make empanadas again.
You can also freeze assembled empanadas. You can freeze them on a parchment lined baking sheet, then transfer to a freezer bag. Fry the frozen empanadas an additional 2-3 minutes.
Colombian Empanadas
Ingredients
For the filling:
1lb beef chuck, cut into large chunks
1 cup beef broth
1lb Russet potatoes, diced
1 bunch scallions, chopped (about 6 scallions)
1 tsp cumin powder (more or less to taste)
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp onion powder
Salt and pepper to taste
Optional: a sprinkle of chopped cilantro
For the crust:
2 cups pre-cooked corn meal (I use Pan brand)
2 1/2 cups very hot (but not boiling) water
1 tsp salt
Optional: 1/2 packet Goya seasoning (the kind that says “Con Azafran” on the box)
Directions
Make the filling:
Add the beef chunks and beef broth to the liner of your pressure cooker. Cook on High Pressure for 45 minutes. When the timer is up, allow the pressure to release naturally.
After the pressure has released, open the pressure cooker. Shred the meat with a fork or your tongs (if meat will not shred, cook under pressure for an additional 10-15 minutes).
Set pressure cooker to the Saute/Browning setting. Add the diced potatoes, scallions, cumin, garlic powder, and onion powder. Season with salt and pepper. Let the mixture come to a simmer. Cook the potatoes are cooked through and most of the liquid has evaporated from the mixture. Taste and adjust seasonings as necessary.
Let the mixture cool to room temperature before you continue.
**Note: Filling can be made in advance and stored in the fridge or frozen until ready to use.
Make the dough:
Place corn meal, Goya seasoning (if using), and salt in a large, heat-proof bowl. Add the hot water and stir with a metal or wooden spoon until mixture forms a firm dough.
At this point, you can cover the dough with a towel and allow to sit for 30 minutes. Or, if you can tolerate heat well, you can start working the dough now. Using both hands, press and knead the dough until it is uniform, and no clumps of corn meal remain.
Assembly and cooking:
Preheat about 2 quarts of vegetable oil for frying to 375 degrees F. Normally, I use a deep fryer. However, use the method you feel most comfortable with.
Shape prepared dough into balls approximately 1″ in diameter.
Flatten ball into a disk. Add a spoonful of the filling. Fold one side of the disk over onto the other side and pinch shut to seal, so that they form a half-moon shape. Repeat until you run out of filling, dough, both, or just get too tired of the repetition. The dough dries out very quickly, and your dough will start to crack during the assembly process, so work quickly and keep your dough covered with a dish towel to help trap the moisture. Alternately, you can make the dough in smaller batches at a time, so it doesn’t sit out as long before drying out.
Add empanadas to the hot oil, 3 or 4 at a time. Do not crowd the oil. Fry until golden brown and crispy, about 2 minutes per side.
Remove from oil and drain on a rack or on paper towels. Allow to cool a few minutes before serving. Serve with aji (salsa), if desired.
