Recipe Manuscript

Empanadas

Name: Empanadas
Prep time: PTPT30M
Cook time: PTPT25M
Yield: 12
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 900 grams all-purpose flour, divided into two 450 g mounds; 3 large eggs; 30 grams sifted sugar; Pinch of salt; Pinch of baking soda (substitute for tequesquite); 200–250 grams lard (or unsalted butter), melted and cooled, divided; Water, as needed to bring dough together (about 120–180 ml); Fricadillo (meat stew, seasoned and finely minced) for filling

"Empanadas"

1904

From the treasured pages of Cuaderno de Carmen Volante

Written by Cármen Volante

Early Modern Kitchen (1900 - 1930)American Intermediate Dinner Lunch Snack

Original Recipe • 1904

Original Manuscript(circa Early Modern Kitchen, 1900 - 1930)

As inscribed by the original author's hand, transcribed with care by Lost Kitchen Scrolls

Empanadas

"Se haran 2 cerros de harina de a libra cada uno, y en uno se echarán 3 huevos, una poquita de azúcar cernida, sal, un poco de tequesquite y la agua necesaria para juntarla; la otra se une solo con manteca derretida y fria y después juntando las 2 cosas se amasan y se les irá echando manteca hasta que este suave y manejable y q. se pueda estender con el palote y estando estendida de un grueso regular se cortaran con el cuchillo del tamaño que se quieran se rellenan de fricadillo, se doblan y puestas en hojas de lata se meteran al horno, q. este bien templado, cuando esten se sacan."

English Translation

"Make 2 mounds of flour, each one pound. In one, add 3 eggs, a little sifted sugar, salt, a bit of tequesquite, and enough water to bring it together; The other mound is mixed only with melted and cooled lard, and then, after combining both mixtures, knead them together, gradually adding lard until it is soft and manageable and can be rolled out with a rolling pin. When rolled out to a regular thickness, cut with a knife to the desired size, fill with minced meat, fold, and place on tin sheets. Put them in the oven, which should be well heated. When done, remove them."

Note on the Original Text

The recipe's original writing employs abbreviations (such as 'q.' for 'que'), omits precise measurements for modern standards, and presumes the reader is already familiar with some conventions of dough making and oven usage. Spelling follows early 20th-century norms, with colloquial and regional Mexican language—e.g., 'cerros' for mounds of flour and 'tequesquite' for the mineral salt. Like most manuscript recipes from this era, directions are brief and expect intuitive kitchen skills, giving insight into a culinary world before standardized recipes and widely available kitchen scales.

Modern Kitchen Interpretation

Recipe's Origin

Cuaderno de Carmen Volante - Click to view recipe in book

Title

Cuaderno de Carmen Volante (1904)

You can also click the book image above to peruse the original tome

Writer

Cármen Volante

Era

1904

Publisher

Unknown

Background

A handwritten culinary treasure from 1904, this manuscript brims with delicious soups, salsas, tantalizing meat entrées, embutidos, fresh fish, irresistible desserts, preserves, cakes, and refreshing drinks. Each page tempts with recipes sure to inspire any gourmet’s imagination.

Kindly made available by

University of Texas at San Antonio

Historical Background of the Recipe

Learn about old traditions

This empanada recipe comes from the '6o Cuaderno', a manuscript cookbook written in 1904 by Carmen Volante in Mexico. The notebook is a treasure trove, containing a delightful cross-section of recipes for soups, salsas, main dishes, preserved foods, desserts, and baked treats—each representing the culinary traditions and domestic know-how of the turn-of-the-century Mexican home. Written by and for women working in middle- and upper-class urban households, the recipe is an excellent example of how Mexican cooks merged indigenous ingredients (tequesquite, a natural mineral salt) and European culinary techniques (egg-enriched and lard-rich pastries). Traditional fillings like fricadillo reveal the penchant for resourcefulness and celebration at family gatherings.

Culinary Tools when the Recipe was Crafted

Tools and techniques from kitchens of old

Back in 1904, this dough would have been mixed and kneaded by hand directly on a large, flat table. The eggs might have come straight from a household coop, and the flour would be sifted using a sieve. Tequesquite, a mineral alkali, was crumbled and blended by hand. Cutting and shaping the empanadas was done with a simple kitchen knife and a palote (rolling pin), while baking was on hoja de lata—large, flat tin baking sheets—and in a wood-fired or masonry oven, carefully watched for even browning.

Modern Kitchen Adaptation

Ingredients and techniques for today's cooks

ounces, cups, Fahrenheit

Prep Time

30 mins

Cook Time

25 mins

Servings

We've done our best to adapt this historical recipe for modern kitchens, but some details may still need refinement. We warmly welcome feedback from fellow cooks and culinary historians — your insights support the entire community!

Ingredients

7 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, divided into two 3 3/4 cup mounds
3 large eggs
2 1/2 tablespoons sifted sugar
Pinch of salt
Pinch of baking soda (substitute for tequesquite)
14 to 17 1/2 tablespoons lard (or unsalted butter), melted and cooled, divided (just under 1 to 1 1/4 cup total)
1/2 to 3/4 cup water, as needed to bring dough together (about 120–180 ml)
Fricadillo (meat stew, seasoned and finely minced) for filling

Instructions

To make these early-1900s empanadas, start by preparing two mounds of flour, each with 3 3/4 cups (450 grams).
In one mound, blend in 3 large eggs, 2 1/2 tablespoons (30 grams) of sifted sugar, a pinch of salt, a small pinch of baking soda to substitute for tequesquite (since it is difficult to source today), and just enough water to bring the dough together.
In the second mound, use 3 3/4 cups flour (450 grams) and combine it solely with 7 tablespoons (1/2 cup minus 1 tablespoon; 100 grams) of melted and cooled lard (or substitute with unsalted butter), mixing until incorporated.
Next, combine both doughs thoroughly and knead, gradually adding more melted lard (about 7 to 10 1/2 tablespoons; 100–150 grams total) until you have a supple, workable dough that can be rolled out smoothly.
Roll the dough to an even thickness (about 1/8 to 3/16 inch), then cut into desired sizes using a knife.
Fill each piece with your choice of fricadillo (a spiced meat filling stewed and chopped finely), fold over, seal, and place on baking sheets.
Bake in a well-preheated moderate oven (about 350°F) until golden brown.
Remove, cool slightly, and enjoy.

Estimated Calories

320 per serving

Cooking Estimates

It takes about 30 minutes to prepare the dough and filling. Baking takes another 25 minutes. Each empanada is about 320 calories if you make 12 with this recipe.

As noted above, we have made our best effort to translate and adapt this historical recipe for modern kitchens, taking into account ingredients nowadays, cooking techniques, measurements, and so on. However, historical recipes often contain assumptions that require interpretation.

We'd love for anyone to help improve these adaptations. Community contributions are highly welcome. If you have suggestions, corrections, or cooking tips based on your experience with this recipe, please share them below.