Piroszhki (Little Russian Pastries)

• Filling
• lb lean ground beef↗1⁄2
• small onion, finely chopped↗1
• hard-cooked egg, finely chopped1
• tablespoon fresh dill weed (you can use 1 teaspoon dried dill or parsley) or 1 tablespoon parsley (you can use 1 teaspoon dried dill or parsley)1
• teaspoon salt↗1⁄2
• teaspoon black pepper↗1⁄8
• Pastry
• cup butter or 3/4 cup margarine, softened↗3⁄4
• cups all-purpose flour↗2
• teaspoon salt↗1
• cup low-fat sour cream↗1⁄2
• Pastry Wash
• egg yolk↗1
• tablespoon cold water1

Step-by-step instructions

1. 1

   For the filling, cook and stir beef with onion in 10-inch skillet until no pink remains in beef; drain. Stir in egg, dill (or parsley), salt and pepper.

2. 2

   For the pastry, cut butter into flour and salt until dough resembles small peas. Stir in sour cream. Gather pastry into a ball. Divide dough into fourths; cover with damp towel to prevent drying.

3. 3

   Roll each fourth into a 12-inch circle on a floured surface. Cut pastry into 3-inch circles. Place rounded teaspoonfuls of beef filling on center of each circle. Fold one side of pastry over filling, to form a half-circle. Dot pastry edges with water, and fold the bottom pastry over the top pastry about 1/4" (to keep filling in), and pinch edges to seal. Then fold the two ends in about 1/2 inch.

4. 4

   Place, seam side down, on ungreased backing sheet. Repeat with remaining pastry. (Pastries can be covered and refrigerated no longer than 24 hours at this point.).

5. 5

   Heat oven to 400°F.

6. 6

   Mix egg yolk and water, and brush pastries with the egg yolk wash. Bake about 15 to 20 minutes, or until pastries are golden brown.