Why it works: Flour and sugar are a kitchen classic. They rank in the top 15% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 92,116 recipes. Both carry phenylacetaldehyde, which smells hawthorne, honey. The science ↓
Empanadas with Smoked Cheese
Ingredients
Directions
Make the dough
Combine flour, salt, and sugar in a food processor.
Add shortening and pulse until mixture resembles cornmeal.
Add egg and water and pulse until dough comes together.
If dough is not pliable, add about a teaspoon more water.
Roll dough to 1-8 inches thick on a lightly floured surface.
Cut dough into 3-inch circles with a cookie cutter.
Gather scraps, roll, and cut again until dough is used.
Fill and seal
Brush the top of each circle with water.
Place a spoonful of diced cheese in the center of each circle.
Fold the circle to form a half-moon shape.
Seal the edges by pleating with fingertips or pinching with a fork.
Fry and serve
Pour oil to a 1-inch depth in a heavy skillet or electric frying pan and heat to 350°F.
Fry empanadas in batches, turning with a slotted spoon, until golden brown on both sides, about 2 minutes.
Drain on paper towels and serve.
Nutrition, whole recipe (rough)
Counts 8 of 9 ingredients. The other 1 aren't in our nutrition table and add nothing above, so the real totals are higher.
What these numbers assume: 8 portions
| Ingredient | Portion assumed | kcal |
|---|---|---|
| Flour | 1 cup (125g) all-purpose | 455 |
| Vegetable | 1 tbsp (14g) | 120 |
| Olive Oil | 1 tbsp (14g) | 119 |
| Butter | 1 tbsp (14g) | 102 |
| Mozzarella Cheese | 1 oz (28g) | 85 |
| Egg | 1 large egg (50g) | 78 |
| Sugar | 1 tbsp (12.5g) granulated | 49 |
| Salt | 1 tsp (6g) | 0 |
| Water | not in our table | 0 |
One typical portion per ingredient; the recipe's quantities are not counted. A rough guide only, not for medical or dietary planning.
Steps grouped into stages for easier reading; the method is the source's own.
Explore the science
The flavor team
The pairs that carry this dish. Each one is judged two ways: how much their aromas overlap, and how often cooks already put them together.
-
Flour + sugartop 15% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together92,116 recipes
Shared aroma: phenylacetaldehyde (hawthorne, honey).
-
Flour + eggtop 15% of all pairsSmell alikelowCooked together106,462 recipes
Shared aroma: isobutyraldehyde (malty, green).
-
Sugar + eggtop 21% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together122,807 recipes
Shared aroma: 2-nonenal (fatty, green).
-
Egg + mozzarella cheesetop 25% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together879 recipes
Shared aroma: decanal (soap, orange peel).
-
Flour + mozzarella cheesetop 26% of all pairsSmell alikelowCooked together1,005 recipes
Shared aroma: isobutyraldehyde (malty, green).
Flour and egg barely smell alike, yet cooks put them together in 106,462 recipes: they work on texture and structure more than aroma.
Ranks compare each pair with 20,000 random ingredient pairs on CompKitchen. How we score pairs
What each ingredient does
- All-purpose flour
- Forms the gluten-based structure that holds the dough together and lets it be rolled and sealed.
- Smoked mozzarella cheese
- Melts inside the pocket to provide the creamy filling and a smoky flavor.
- Solid vegetable shortening
- Coats flour particles to create a tender, flaky texture in the dough.
- Large egg
- Binds the dough and adds richness and structure.
The step that matters
Seal the edges firmly. Sealed edges keep the cheese from leaking into the hot oil, where it can burst and cause the empanadas to split or fry unevenly.
“What each ingredient does” and “The step that matters” were written by Claude from this recipe’s own method and reviewed in samples by CompKitchen.
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