2 c. all-purpose flour
2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. salt
6 tbsp. soft butter
1 tbsp. vegetable oil
1/3 c. ice water

Sift together into a bowl the flour, baking powder, and salt. Add the butter and oil; work into the flour mixture as you would for pastry, adding (little by little) enough ice water to hold dough together. Divide into 12 even balls. Roll out each ball to make a circle about 3 to 4 inches in diameter. Place a tablespoon of filling (below) on one half of each circle; wet the edges with water and fold the other half over, pressing the edges firmly to seal in the filling. Fry the empanadas in hot oil until golden brown and drain on absorbent paper or bake for 15-20 minutes at 400 degrees.

Filling: Here are some suggestions for empanada fillings. Of course, you can use almost anything, so make up your own. The only trick is to have them well seasoned. You can use cooked chicken, pimentos, and stuffed olives (all chopped). Add capers and a small amount of grated cheese. Or you can use cooked, chopped chicken with mushroom pieces and a little mayonnaise. An excellent empanada filling is cooked, chopped chicken, fresh tomato, peeled and cut in tiny pieces, and chopped peeled green chilies.