Note: Chorizo Empanadas use Spanish-type chorizo, which is a sausage like a salami.

Oven at 400 F

Ingredients

• 4 oz chorizo sausage, casing removed
• 9 oz frozen puff pastry, thawed
• AP/plain flour for dusting
• 1 egg, beaten
• Spanish paprika for garnish

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 400 F. Dice the chorizo into 1/2-inch squares.
2. Roll out the thawed puff pastry (about 1/4 inch or less) on a floured board. Cut circles with a 3 1/2 biscuit/cookie cutter. Gather the scraps and reroll to make 12 circles total.
3. Fill each circle with about 1 teaspoon of the diced chorizo. Moisten the edges of each round with a little water and fold over in half to enclose the chorizo. Use a fork to press the edges together to seal. Make a small slit in the top of each pastry. They can be made ahead and refrigerated (covered) until serving time.
4. Put the pastries on a dampened baking sheet. Brush with a little beaten egg to glaze. Bake for 10–15 minutes until they are golden brown and puffed. Dust with a little paprika to garnish. Serve hot or warm.
5. Chorizo Empanadas can be served with a few salad leaves as a first course.