Caipirihinia
Do not substitute fresh lime for Rose's. The oil in the lime peel is essential.
- Half a lime, quartered
- 2 teaspoons sugar
- 2 ounces Cachaca
Muddle lime and sugar together in the bottom of serving glass. Add crushed ice and Cachaca. Stir and serve.
Empanada with Hearts of Palm
Pastry
- 4 tablespoons butter
- 4 tablespoons vegetable shortening
- 2 1/2 cups flour
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 3 egg yolks
- 1/4 buttermilk
- 2 tablespoons heavy cream
Melt together butter and shortening in a small sauce pan. Set aside to cool. Sift together flour and salt in a medium mixing bowl. Fork in cooled butter and shortening. Stir in egg yolks. Mix well. Gradually add buttermilk and work just until dough comes together. Wrap dough in plastic and let stand about 30 minutes.
Filling
- 3 tablespoons butter
- 1 medium onion, finely chopped
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- 1 can hearts of palm, drained and chopped
- 1 tablespoon flour
- 1 cup whole milk
- 1/4 roughly chopped black olives
- 1/2 cup feta cheese, crumbled
- Sea Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Melt butter in a medium skillet. Add onions and sugar and sauté over low heat until translucent, about 5 minutes. Add hearts of palm and cook a few minutes longer. Sprinkle in flour and cook just long enough to lightly toast flour. Slowly add milk, stirring constantly to avoid any lumps, and cook until mixture thickens, about 3 minutes. Stir in olives and feta cheese. Adjust seasoning with salt and pepper. Let cool.
Heat oven to 425. Divide dough not quite in half. Roll out larger half on a lightly floured work surface. Cut into rounds just big enough to line bottom and sides of a small muffin tin. Divide filling between cups. Roll out smaller half of dough and cut into rounds just big enough to match diameter of tins. Cover filling - pressing gently and using just a little bit of cream to create a nice seal. Brush tops of empanadas with remaining heavy cream. Bake until tops are golden, about 10 minutes. Reduce heat to 350 and bake until empanadas are hot and bubbly and pastry in cooked through, about 25 minutes total. Remove from oven and serve hot.