Mini Beef Tourtières (Print Version)

Flaky cream cheese pastry pockets filled with spiced ground beef and aromatic herbs for festive gatherings.

# What You'll 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 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 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, breaking apart with a spoon, and cook until browned. Stir in allspice, cinnamon, cloves, thyme, salt, and pepper. Pour beef broth into the mixture 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 - Roll out chilled pastry dough on a floured work surface to 1/8 inch thickness. Using a 2 3/4 inch round pastry cutter, cut out rounds from the dough. Place half of the rounds on the prepared baking sheets.
05 - Spoon 1 heaping teaspoon of cooled beef filling onto each pastry round on the baking sheets. Brush edges lightly with water. Top each filled round with a second pastry round and seal edges firmly using the tines of a fork.
06 - Brush the top of each sealed pastry with beaten egg. Cut a small slit in the center of each tourtière to allow steam to escape during baking.
07 - Bake for 18 to 22 minutes, or until pastries are golden brown. Allow to cool slightly before serving.

# Expert Suggestions:

01 -
  • The cream cheese pastry is tender and rich without being fussy, and it never fails to impress.
  • Each bite delivers warm spices like allspice and cinnamon that make your kitchen smell like a holiday, any time of year.
  • They freeze beautifully, so you can pull out a batch whenever surprise guests show up.
  • Theyre just the right size to eat standing up with one hand and a glass of wine in the other.
02 -
  • If your dough gets too soft while rolling, pop it back in the fridge for 10 minutes or it will stick and tear.
  • Let the filling cool completely before assembling or the heat will melt the pastry and make sealing impossible.
  • Dont overfill each round, a heaping teaspoon is plenty or the filling will burst out during baking.
  • Press the fork tines firmly to seal the edges, a loose seal means leaky tourtières and a messy oven.
03 -
  • Chill your pastry scraps between re-rolls so they stay easy to work with and dont turn tough.
  • Use a scale to portion the filling evenly, it keeps every tourtière consistent and professional looking.
  • Let the baked tourtières rest for five minutes before serving, the filling sets just enough to stay inside when you bite.
  • If the edges brown too quickly, tent the tray loosely with foil for the last few minutes of baking.
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