Empanadas de Queso

Yield: 8 Empanadas

Ingredients for the dough:

Pinch of salt
2 tablespoons of sugar
½ teaspoon of baking soda

3 cups of sifted flour
2 tablespoons of shortening
1 tablespoon of baking powder
Milk (you'll be adding only as much as necessary, see below)

Ingredients for the filling:

3 egg whites
½ pound of hard white cheese

Instructions for the dough:

Take small pieces of dough into your hands and roll them into balls. Then roll each ball flat with a rolling pin into an OVAL (not round) shape.

Instructions for the filling:

Grate the cheese. Beat the egg whites until foamy. Mix the cheese with the egg whites. Fill each piece of flattened dough with 1-2 tablespoons of cheese filling.

Fold one half of the dough over the other until the two edges match and press together until completely sealed. At this point you can crimp the edge of the dough all around the empanada.

With a pastry brush, brush egg white onto the surface of each empanada so that when baked it will take on a nice golden color. Bake the empanadas de queso for 20-30 minutes at 350ºF on previously greased cookie sheets.