Mini Beef Tourtières (Print Version)

Flaky pastries with savory spiced beef filling. A delightful Canadian appetizer for any festive occasion.

# What You Need:

→ Cream Cheese Pastry

01 - 8 oz cream cheese, softened
02 - 8 oz unsalted butter, cold and diced
03 - 2 cups all-purpose flour
04 - 1/2 teaspoon salt

→ Beef Filling

05 - 1 pound ground beef
06 - 1 small onion, finely chopped
07 - 1 clove garlic, minced
08 - 1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
09 - 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
10 - 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
11 - 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
12 - 1/2 teaspoon salt
13 - 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
14 - 1/4 cup beef broth
15 - 1 tablespoon fresh parsley, chopped
16 - 1 tablespoon unsalted butter

→ Assembly

17 - 1 egg, beaten for egg wash

# Directions:

01 - In a large bowl, blend softened cream cheese and cold diced butter until smooth. Add flour and salt, mixing until a soft dough forms. Divide dough in half, flatten each into a disk, wrap in plastic wrap, and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.
02 - Melt 1 tablespoon butter in a skillet over medium heat. Add chopped onion and cook until translucent, approximately 3 minutes. Add minced garlic and cook for 1 minute. Add ground beef and cook until browned, breaking apart with a spoon. Stir in allspice, cinnamon, cloves, thyme, salt, and pepper. Pour in beef broth and simmer until mostly evaporated, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat, stir in fresh parsley, and allow to cool completely.
03 - Preheat oven to 400°F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
04 - On a floured surface, roll out one portion of pastry dough to 1/8 inch thickness. Using a 2 3/4 inch round pastry cutter, cut out circles. Place half the rounds on prepared baking sheets. Repeat with second dough portion.
05 - Spoon 1 heaping teaspoon of cooled beef filling onto each round placed on baking sheets. Brush edges lightly with water. Top each with a remaining pastry round and seal edges firmly with a fork.
06 - Brush the top of each tourtière with beaten egg. Cut a small slit in each pastry to allow steam to escape during baking.
07 - Bake for 18 to 22 minutes, or until pastries are golden brown. Remove from oven and cool slightly before serving.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • The cream cheese pastry is ridiculously tender and flaky without any fussy laminating or chilling marathons.
  • Each bite delivers that cozy, spiced filling that tastes like the holidays but works any time you want something savory and satisfying.
  • They freeze beautifully unbaked, so you can pull out exactly as many as you need and bake them fresh whenever company shows up.
02 -
  • If the filling is even a little warm when you assemble the pies, the butter in the pastry will start to soften and you'll lose that flaky texture, so always let it cool completely.
  • Don't skip the small slit on top, the steam needs somewhere to go or the pies can puff up unevenly and sometimes burst at the seams.
  • Use a light hand when sealing the edges with a fork, pressing too hard can squeeze out the filling or make the dough tough.
03 -
  • Chill your pastry scraps and re roll them gently to get a few more rounds, but don't overwork the dough or it will get tough.
  • If the dough gets too soft while you're working, pop it back in the fridge for 10 minutes, it's much easier to handle when it's cold.
  • For the neatest edges, dip your fork in flour before pressing down to seal each pie.
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