Mini Beef Tourtières (Printable)

Flaky pastries with savory spiced beef filling, perfect for entertaining and festive occasions.

# Ingredient List:

→ 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

# Steps:

01 - In a large bowl, blend the softened cream cheese and cold diced butter until smooth. Add flour and salt, mixing until a soft dough forms. Divide dough in half, flatten into disks, wrap in plastic wrap, and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.
02 - In a skillet over medium heat, melt butter. Add onion and cook until translucent, approximately 3 minutes. Add minced garlic and cook for 1 minute. Add ground beef and cook until browned, breaking into small pieces 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 let cool to room temperature.
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 round 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 a second pastry round, and seal edges firmly using a fork.
06 - Brush tops of tourtières with beaten egg. Cut a small slit in the center of each pastry to allow steam to escape during baking.
07 - Bake for 18 to 22 minutes, or until pastry is golden brown. Cool slightly on baking sheets before serving.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • The cream cheese pastry stays impossibly flaky and tender, even when you're not a pastry expert.
  • Warm spices transform simple ground beef into something that tastes festive and slightly fancy without any fuss.
  • You can make the dough days ahead and the filling tastes even better after sitting overnight.
  • They're bite-sized but substantial enough that guests actually feel satisfied eating three or four.
02 -
  • Don't skip the cooling step for the filling; warm filling will start melting your pastry the moment you spoon it in, and you'll end up with a gloppy mess.
  • The egg wash makes all the difference between pastries that look homemade and pastries that look intentional and polished.
  • Your oven temperature matters more than you'd think; if it's too cool, the pastry stays pale and greasy, so invest in an oven thermometer if you don't have one.
03 -
  • Keep everything cold while you're working with the pastry; if the butter starts to warm up, your dough will be tough instead of flaky.
  • The egg wash should be brushed on just before baking, and brush it gently so you don't deflate all the air you've worked to build into the pastry.
  • Add finely diced mushrooms to the filling for extra depth and richness, and nobody will be able to pinpoint exactly why they taste so good.
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