Piroshki
Source: San - Dad’s Piroshki

2 sheets of puff pastry, defrosted but refrigerated until ready to be used (San prefers to use pie crust) *or use pastry recipe below

Sauté:
1 medium onion, finely chopped (about 3/4 cup) in about 2 T butter
add and brown 1/2 lb lean ground beef, then remove the pan from the heat and blend in:
1 T dill weed
1 T parsley
3/4 tsp salt
Mix 4 tsp Worcestershire sauce with 1 T sour cream and stir into the meat mix

Roll the pastry out to about 1/8” thick and cut out into 2” rounds.
Spoon about a teaspoon of the (cooled) meat mixture onto the pastry (be careful to not get it on the edges or they won’t seal properly—can brush the edges with egg white or water) and pinch into a half-moon form.
Place on an ungreased cookie sheet and bake at 400 degrees for about 12 minutes. (Cindy's note - they took longer in my oven)

*Pastry (from recipezaar)
3/4 cup unsalted butter, chilled
2 cups flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
4-6 tablespoons ice water
optional - 1 egg yolk plus 2 T water as egg wash before baking

Cut butter into pieces. Combine flour, butter, and salt using a knife or pastry blender. Sprinkle with 4 T ice water.
Form into ball as you would pie dough. May need to add remaining 2 T water. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1 hour.
Place pastry dough on floured board; roll out into rectangle. Fold over into thirds. Roll out again into rectangle.
Continue rolling and folding five times. Rewrap in plastic; return to refrigerator for 1 hour, pastry will then be ready to roll out.

Additional fillings (from recipezaar)
Meat/Egg Filling
2 T butter
1 large onion, chopped
3/4 lb ground beef
2 hard-boiled eggs, minced
3 T minced fresh dill (or 1 1/2 tsp dried dill weed)
salt and pepper

Sauté onion in 2 T butter until soft. Add ground beef and sear until light gravy forms.
Let cool. Mix in egg, dill, salt and pepper.
Potato and Cheese Filling
2 medium onions, minced
3 T butter
1 lb potato
1 cup grated graviera cheese (you can sub gouda or cheddar)
1 egg
salt and pepper
Cindy's note - I like to occasionally add chopped spinach

Fry the onions in the butter until soft and golden-brown. Boil the potatoes in their jackets, then peel and mash them.
Let cool slightly. Season with plenty of salt and pepper and mix in the onions and egg.
Mushroom Filling
1 lb mushroom, minced
1 medium onion, minced
2 shallots or green onions, minced
4 T butter
1 tsp fresh lemon juice
salt and pepper
1 pinch of grated nutmeg
4 oz cream cheese, softened (or 1 medium-sized potato, cooked and mashed)
1 egg

Saute the mushrooms, onion, and shallots in the butter until the onion is translucent. Add the lemon juice, salt, pepper, and nutmeg.
Continue to cook, stirring until nearly all the moisture is evaporated. Cool mixture slightly and mix in cream cheese or mashed potato.



Back to Cindy's Recipes - Home Page