Lemon empanadas
15
Crispy empanadas filled with lemon curd, frozen in small ice cubes for easy, leak-free assembly.
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Yellow lemon|2|pcs
Powdered sugar|100|g
Eggs|110|g
Soft butter|100|g

Wheat flour|500|g
Water|150|ml
Butter|100|g
Salt|0.5|tsp|pastry base
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Make the lemon curd: juice the lemon.
In a bowl, mix lemon juice, eggs, sugar and butter in pieces.
Cook the curd in a bain-marie, stirring until thick (about 82 °C in the centre).
Strain through a fine sieve, blend if needed to smooth.
Pour the curd into ice cube trays (or small silicone moulds), about 1.5–2 cm per portion.
Freeze at least 4 hours (ideally overnight) until solid.

Heat the water and butter in a saucepan until the butter is fully melted, then turn off the heat.
Let the mixture cool to about 45 °C (warm to the touch, not hot).
Pour the warm mixture over the flour and salt, knead until you have a ball of dough.
Knead on the work surface until smooth and no longer sticky.
Cover with a damp cloth and let rest at room temperature.

Roll out the dough and cut 15 circles (diameter to match the ice cube size).
Take the lemon curd cubes out of the freezer at the last moment.
Place one lemon curd cube in the centre of each circle.
Moisten the edges, fold into a half-moon and pinch firmly to seal.
Bake immediately so the cubes don’t thaw before going in the oven.

Bake the empanadas 20–25 min at 200 °C until golden and crispy.
Let cool slightly before serving: the lemon curd will have melted inside.
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The curd is done when it coats the spoon and reaches about 82 °C; scrape the sides well while cooking.
Use standard ice cube trays or small silicone moulds (1.5–2 cm) for easy-to-wrap portions.
Don’t leave the cubes out long before closing the empanadas so they stay solid.
Preheat the oven to 200 °C; check the edges are well sealed so the curd doesn’t leak.
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dessert
empanada
lemon
lemon-curd
oven
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Easy
Optional
No
By hand ~ cutlery
Medium
Mild
Medium
Crust softens when cool
Lemon can moisten filling