Given how good the savory empanadas are at Rincon Argentino, which I review this week, I was curious why the restaurant doesn't serve empanadas for dessert. "They're not very common," explains chef-owner Christian Saber, a native of Argentina, which is why he offers more classic desserts such as dulce de leche-filled cookies and quince tarts. See also: Behind the scenes at Rincon Argentino

Still, the idea of crisp dough tucked around sweet fillings sounds very appealing, for the same reason that hand-held cherry pies or French chausson aux pommes are so hard to resist.

While Saber says this recipe for chocolate-banana empanadas reminds him of something "you can get in that Cheesecake Factory, not an empanada place," I think I'll give it a try. But I'll take a tip from others who have and swap refrigerated pie crust for Tyler Florence's masa harina-filled empanada dough.

• Cafe Society