Piroshki (a Savoury, Filled Pastry)

Total Time: 1 hr 20 mins Preparation Time: 40 mins Cook Time: 40 mins

Ingredients

• 3/4 cup unsalted butter, chilled
• 2 cups flour
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 4 -6 tablespoons ice water
• 1 egg yolk (for egg wash for pastry)
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 3/4 lb ground beef
• 2 hard-boiled eggs, minced
• 3 tablespoons minced fresh dill (or 1 1/2 tsp dried dill weed)
• salt and pepper
• 1 egg
• 2 tablespoons water
• 2 medium onions, minced
• 3 tablespoons butter
• 1 lb potato
• 1 cup grated graviera cheese (you can sub gouda or cheddar)
• 1 egg
• salt and pepper
• 1 lb mushroom, minced
• 1 medium onion, minced
• 2 shallots or 2 green onions, minced
• 4 tablespoons butter
• 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
• salt and pepper
• 1 pinch of grated nutmeg
• 4 ounces cream cheese, softened (or 1 medium-sized potato, cooked and mashed)
• 1 egg

Recipe

• 1 for pastry: cut butter into pieces.
• 2 combine flour, butter, and salt using a knife or pastry blender.
• 3 sprinkle with 4 tablespoons ice water.
• 4 form into ball as you would pie dough.
• 5 may need to add remaining 2 tablespoons water.
• 6 wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1 hour.
• 7 place pastry dough on floured board; roll out into rectangle.
• 8 fold over into thirds.
• 9 roll out again into rectangle.
• 10 continue rolling and folding five times.
• 11 rewrap in plastic; return to refrigerator for 1 hour.
• 12 preheat oven to 400°f.
• 13 grease baking sheet.
• 14 roll dough out to 1/8-inch thickness.
• 15 cut dough using 3 ½-inch round cutter.
• 16 place about 1 tablespoon of filling on each pastry circle.
• 17 fold dough over making half moons; press together edges together using ice water to seal.
• 18 place pies on baking sheet.
• 19 whisk together egg yolk and 2 tblsps water; brush pies with egg wash.
• 20 bake about 30-40 minutes or until golden brown.
• 21 for meat filling: sauté onion in 2 tablespoons butter until soft.
• 22 add ground beef and sear until light gravy forms.
• 23 let cool.
• 24 mix in egg, dill, salt and pepper.
• 25 for potato filling: fry the onions in the butter until soft and golden-brown.
• 26 boil the potatoes in their jackets, then peel and mash them.
• 27 let cool slightly.
• 28 season with plenty of salt and pepper and mix in the onions and egg.
• 29 for mushroom filling: in a pan or skillet, saute the mushrooms, onion, and shallots in the butter until the onion is translucent.
• 30 add the lemon juice, salt, pepper, and nutmeg.
• 31 continue to cook, stirring until nearly all the moisture is evaporated.
• 32 cool mixture slightly and mix in cream cheese or mashed potato.
• 33 i like to sprinkle poppy seeds over the egg washed pastries filled with the mushroom filling.
• 34 note: these pastries are very good made with phyllo pastry, too.