Poblano and Corn Hand Pies
By America's Test KitchenPublished on January 27, 2022
Time
1¾ hours, plus 45 minutes chilling and 30 minutes cooling
Yield
Makes 16 pies, Serves 6 to 8
Ingredients
Filling
1 (15-ounce/425-gram) can pinto beans, 3 tablespoons liquid reserved, beans rinsed1 ½ cups frozen corn, thawed6 ounces (170 grams) pepper Jack cheese, shredded (1½ cups)3 scallions, white parts minced, green parts sliced thin2 tablespoons vegetable oil 3 poblano chiles, stemmed, seeded, and cut into ¼-inch pieces2 garlic cloves, minced2 teaspoons minced fresh oregano or ½ teaspoon dried1 ½ teaspoons ground cumin 1 ½ teaspoons ground coriander Salt and pepperDough
4 cups (20 ounces/567 grams) all-purpose flour 2 teaspoons salt 1 teaspoon baking powder 8 tablespoons vegetable shortening, cut into ½-inch pieces1 cup vegetable broth 2 large eggs, lightly beaten5 tablespoons vegetable oilBefore You Begin
Serve the hand pies with Mexican crema, if desired.
Instructions
- Place one-quarter of beans in large bowl, add bean liquid, and, using back of wooden spoon, mash until coarsely mashed. Stir in remaining beans, corn, cheese, and scallion greens.
- Heat oil in 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add poblanos and scallion whites, and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, 3 to 5 minutes. Stir in garlic, oregano, cumin, coriander, ½ teaspoon salt, and ¼ teaspoon pepper and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Transfer poblano mixture to bowl with beans and stir well to combine. Season with salt and pepper to taste and let cool slightly. Refrigerate until completely cool, 45 minutes to 1 hour. (Filling can be refrigerated for up to 2 days.)
- Meanwhile, process flour, salt, and baking powder in food processor until combined, about 3 seconds. Add shortening and pulse until mixture resembles coarse cornmeal, 6 to 8 pulses. Add broth and eggs and pulse until dough just comes together, about 5 pulses. Transfer dough to lightly floured counter and knead until dough forms smooth ball, about 20 seconds. Divide dough into 16 equal pieces. With cupped hands, form each piece into a smooth, tight ball. (Dough can be covered and refrigerated for up to 24 hours.)
- Adjust oven racks to upper-middle and lower-middle positions, place 1 rimmed baking sheet on each rack, and heat oven to 425 degrees. Working with 1 piece of dough at a time, roll into 6-inch circle on lightly floured counter. Place heaping ¼ cup cooled filling in center of dough round. Brush edges of dough with water and fold dough over filling. Press to seal, trim any ragged edges, and crimp edges with tines of fork. Pierce top of each hand pie once with fork.
- Drizzle 2 tablespoons oil onto each hot sheet, then return to oven for 2 minutes. Gently brush tops of shaped and filled pies with remaining 1 tablespoon oil. Carefully place 8 pies on each prepared sheet and cook until golden brown, 20 to 25 minutes, switching and rotating sheets halfway through cooking. Transfer hand pies to wire rack and let cool to room temperature, about 30 minutes. Serve.
- Hand pies can be frozen for up to 1 month. Transfer baked and cooled pies to zipper-lock freezer bags, press out air, and seal. To serve, do not thaw before reheating. Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 350 degrees. Place pies on wire rack set in rimmed baking sheet and bake until heated through, 20 to 30 minutes. Serve.
for the filling
for the dough
to make ahead
Time
1¾ hours, plus 45 minutes chilling and 30 minutes coolingYield
Makes 16 pies, Serves 6 to 8Ingredients
Filling
1 (15-ounce/425-gram) can pinto beans, 3 tablespoons liquid reserved, beans rinsed
1 ½ cups frozen corn, thawed
6 ounces (170 grams) pepper Jack cheese, shredded (1½ cups)
3 scallions, white parts minced, green parts sliced thin
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
3 poblano chiles, stemmed, seeded, and cut into ¼-inch pieces
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 teaspoons minced fresh oregano or ½ teaspoon dried
1 ½ teaspoons ground cumin
1 ½ teaspoons ground coriander
Salt and pepper
Dough
4 cups (20 ounces/567 grams) all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon baking powder
8 tablespoons vegetable shortening, cut into ½-inch pieces
1 cup vegetable broth
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
5 tablespoons vegetable oil
Ingredients
Filling
1 (15-ounce/425-gram) can pinto beans, 3 tablespoons liquid reserved, beans rinsed
1 ½ cups frozen corn, thawed
6 ounces (170 grams) pepper Jack cheese, shredded (1½ cups)
3 scallions, white parts minced, green parts sliced thin
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
3 poblano chiles, stemmed, seeded, and cut into ¼-inch pieces
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 teaspoons minced fresh oregano or ½ teaspoon dried
1 ½ teaspoons ground cumin
1 ½ teaspoons ground coriander
Salt and pepper
Dough
4 cups (20 ounces/567 grams) all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon baking powder
8 tablespoons vegetable shortening, cut into ½-inch pieces
1 cup vegetable broth
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
5 tablespoons vegetable oil
Ingredients
Filling
1 (15-ounce/425-gram) can pinto beans, 3 tablespoons liquid reserved, beans rinsed
1 ½ cups frozen corn, thawed
6 ounces (170 grams) pepper Jack cheese, shredded (1½ cups)
3 scallions, white parts minced, green parts sliced thin
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
3 poblano chiles, stemmed, seeded, and cut into ¼-inch pieces
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 teaspoons minced fresh oregano or ½ teaspoon dried
1 ½ teaspoons ground cumin
1 ½ teaspoons ground coriander
Salt and pepper
Dough
4 cups (20 ounces/567 grams) all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon baking powder
8 tablespoons vegetable shortening, cut into ½-inch pieces
1 cup vegetable broth
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
5 tablespoons vegetable oil
Why This Recipe Works
Empanadas, a favorite for their hearty filling and savory shells, can be found in different iterations throughout Latin America. We were inspired to make similar hand pies with a vegetarian filling. To get dough that was easy to work with and sturdy enough to fill while baking up tender and flaky, we found that vegetable shortening was essential. To give it a subtle savory flavor, we used vegetable broth for the liquid and added a generous dose of salt. For the filling, we chose a combination of poblano chiles, hearty pinto beans, and warm spices. Pepper Jack cheese added more heat and richness, and sliced scallions added freshness. Mashing a portion of the pinto beans with some of their liquid created a moist binder for the filling. By oiling and preheating the baking sheets, we created a searing-hot cooking surface for the hand pies, which helped to give them crisp, golden-brown crusts without the mess and hassle of deep frying. Poking each hand pie with the tines of a fork before baking created a vent for the steam to escape, which kept the hand pies from inflating as they baked.
Before You Begin
Serve the hand pies with Mexican crema, if desired.
Instructions
- Place one-quarter of beans in large bowl, add bean liquid, and, using back of wooden spoon, mash until coarsely mashed. Stir in remaining beans, corn, cheese, and scallion greens.
- Heat oil in 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add poblanos and scallion whites, and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, 3 to 5 minutes. Stir in garlic, oregano, cumin, coriander, ½ teaspoon salt, and ¼ teaspoon pepper and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Transfer poblano mixture to bowl with beans and stir well to combine. Season with salt and pepper to taste and let cool slightly. Refrigerate until completely cool, 45 minutes to 1 hour. (Filling can be refrigerated for up to 2 days.)
- Meanwhile, process flour, salt, and baking powder in food processor until combined, about 3 seconds. Add shortening and pulse until mixture resembles coarse cornmeal, 6 to 8 pulses. Add broth and eggs and pulse until dough just comes together, about 5 pulses. Transfer dough to lightly floured counter and knead until dough forms smooth ball, about 20 seconds. Divide dough into 16 equal pieces. With cupped hands, form each piece into a smooth, tight ball. (Dough can be covered and refrigerated for up to 24 hours.)
- Adjust oven racks to upper-middle and lower-middle positions, place 1 rimmed baking sheet on each rack, and heat oven to 425 degrees. Working with 1 piece of dough at a time, roll into 6-inch circle on lightly floured counter. Place heaping ¼ cup cooled filling in center of dough round. Brush edges of dough with water and fold dough over filling. Press to seal, trim any ragged edges, and crimp edges with tines of fork. Pierce top of each hand pie once with fork.
- Drizzle 2 tablespoons oil onto each hot sheet, then return to oven for 2 minutes. Gently brush tops of shaped and filled pies with remaining 1 tablespoon oil. Carefully place 8 pies on each prepared sheet and cook until golden brown, 20 to 25 minutes, switching and rotating sheets halfway through cooking. Transfer hand pies to wire rack and let cool to room temperature, about 30 minutes. Serve.
- Hand pies can be frozen for up to 1 month. Transfer baked and cooled pies to zipper-lock freezer bags, press out air, and seal. To serve, do not thaw before reheating. Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 350 degrees. Place pies on wire rack set in rimmed baking sheet and bake until heated through, 20 to 30 minutes. Serve.
for the filling
for the dough
to make ahead
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