Hearts of Palm Hand Pies (Empadinhas)
These cute hearts of palm hand pies are impossible to resist! A delicate buttery crust that falls apart in your mouth encases a creamy savory filling that will have you licking your fingers clean. If you've never tried this Brazilian delicacy, you are in for a treat!
Ingredients
For the crust:
- 2 cups flour
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 10 tablespoons butter, softened
- 1 large egg
- 1 egg yolk
- Egg wash for brushing the hand pies
For the filling:
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 1 small onion, finely chopped
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 2 tomatoes, chopped
- 21 ounces 1 1/2 cans hearts of palm, diced
- 1/3 cups chopped green olives
- 1 tablespoon flour, or cornstarch
- 1/3 cup milk
- 4 ounces cream cheese, softened
- Salt and pepper, to taste
- 1/3 cup chopped parsley
Equipment
Instructions
To make the crust:
- In a large bowl, combine the flour and salt. Add the butter and, using your fingertips, work it into the flour until the mixture resembles coarse sand.
- Add the egg and egg yolk and mix with your hands until the dough comes together. Do not overwork the dough as we do not want to develop gluten. If needed, you can add a little bit of cold water, about a teaspoon at a time.
- Wrap your dough in plastic and refrigerate for 40 minutes.
To make the hearts of palm filling:
- Heat the olive oil and butter in a large skillet, over medium heat. Add the onions and garlic and sauté until softened and fragrant, about 2 minutes.
- Add the tomatoes and cook until they soften, 2-3 minutes.
- Add the hearts of palm and olives and mix to combine.
- Stir in the flour, cooking for about a minute to get rid of the raw flour taste. Then, add the milk and cream cheese, stirring until the cream cheese melts and the mixture is thick and creamy, about 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.
- Add the chopped parsley and reserve until cooled to room temperature so you can assemble the hand pies.
Assembling the hearts of palm hand pies:
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
- Using your hands, cut a small portion of the dough (about 2 tablespoons) and press it into the bottom of an egg tart mold, making sure there is a little extra hanging off the edges.
- Using a spoon, top the bottom crust with as much filling as you can fit. I pile it up high as I like my empadinhas very plump.
- Grab another portion of dough and press it into a disk. Place the disk on top of the assembled pie, pinching to seal edges together. You can then run your fingers across the circumference of the mold to "cut" the excess dough.
- Repeat with the remaining dough and filling, forming about 10 small hand pies. Place them on a baking sheet.
- Brush the pies with egg wash and bake for 45-50 minutes or until golden brown.
- Serve warm or at room temperature.
Notes
- This recipe was developed using egg tart molds. If using traditional Brazilian empadinha molds or a muffin tin, the sizes will be different and the number of hand pies will vary.
- Alternate fillings: shredded chicken, shrimp, tuna, creamed corn, ground beef, and many others.
- Savory hand pies keep well in the fridge for up to 4-5 days.
- Freezing instructions: Let the hand pies cool completely and then freeze in an airtight container. Thaw in the fridge overnight or bake straight from frozen.
- To reheat empadinhas, put them in a 350 degrees F oven for 20-25 minutes or 30+ minutes if frozen.
Nutrition
Serving: 1hand pie, Calories: 331kcal, Carbohydrates: 27g, Protein: 6g, Fat: 22g, Saturated Fat: 12g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 9g, Trans Fat: 1g, Cholesterol: 101mg, Sodium: 541mg, Fiber: 2g, Sugar: 4g