Mini Beef Tourtières (Printable View)

Bite-sized pastries with flaky crust and savory spiced beef filling. A Canadian classic appetizer.

# 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 lb 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

# How To Make It:

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 - In a skillet over medium heat, melt butter. Add chopped onion and cook until translucent, approximately 3-4 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 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 surface to 1/8 inch thickness. Cut 2 3/4 inch rounds using a pastry cutter. Place half the rounds on prepared baking sheets.
05 - Spoon 1 heaping teaspoon of cooled beef filling onto each pastry round. Brush edges lightly with water. Top with remaining pastry rounds and seal edges firmly with a fork.
06 - Brush tops of pastries with beaten egg. Cut a small slit in the top of each pastry to allow steam to escape during baking.
07 - Bake for 18-22 minutes, or until golden brown. Cool slightly before serving.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • The cream cheese pastry is impossibly tender and melts on your tongue without feeling heavy.
  • Theyre small enough to eat in two bites, which means guests always reach for a second (or third).
  • The warm spice blend makes your kitchen smell like a holiday market in Quebec.
  • You can freeze the unbaked tourtières and bake them straight from the freezer when company arrives unexpectedly.
02 -
  • If you skip chilling the dough, it will be too soft to roll and will stick to everything, turning the process into a mess.
  • Dont overfill the tourtières or theyll burst open in the oven, leaking filling and creating a burnt layer on the pan.
  • Let the filling cool completely before assembling or the heat will melt the pastry and make sealing impossible.
03 -
  • Use a fork dipped in flour to crimp the edges, it prevents sticking and creates a cleaner seal.
  • If the dough gets too warm while rolling, pop it back in the fridge for 10 minutes to firm up.
  • Taste the filling before you assemble and adjust the spices, everyones palate is different and you want it to sing for you.
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