Pasilla-Mushroom Empanadas

Makes about 50 small empanadas - serves 12-15

• Corn tortilla dough for empanadas:
• 3 cups finely ground yellow masa harina
• 1 cup all purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 2 teaspoons cumin
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 4 cups water
• ½ cup canola oil

Combine all ingredients for tortilla dough in a large mixing bowl and stir until smooth. Dough should be slightly sticky and form a ball when pressed together.

Divide into 50 balls.

Flatten balls by placing dough in a tortilla press that is lined with 2 sheets of wax paper. After pressing, remove the top sheet of wax paper, hold the tortilla and peel off the bottom sheet. Dough should be shaped like pancakes that are about ¼ inch thick by 3-inch wide.

Pasilla-Mushroom filling:

• 16 garlic cloves, unpeeled
• 12 large dried pasilla chiles, stemmed and seeded
• 2 teaspoons dried oregano
• ¼ teaspoon ground cumin
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 1 cup chicken stock
• 8 cups sliced portabello mushrooms
• ½ cup chopped cilantro
• 4 cups vegetable oil for frying