Individual Meat Pastries

This recipe is inspired by the beef empanadas from the June 2011 Bon Appetit, the Individual Beef Wellingtons from the Bible, and a desire not to go grocery shopping.  I did this all with items on hand; except for the puff pastry, most home cooks have the ingredients lying around.  The chili powder was a substitute for tomato paste, and the dates were for canned mushrooms.  Some day I will try the Beef Wellington.  If ground beef can end up this good, imagine what the treatment would do to a nice cut of meat!

And I know it looks a little intimidating, but start-to-service was less than 45 minutes.

1 lb ground beef
*1 package (2 sheets) puff pastry dough
1/2 C minced onion
*1 Tb chili powder
1/2 tsp salt
*1/2 C dates or other dark dried fruit like prunes or raisins, chopped
1 egg

1.  Defrost pastry sheets according to directions.

2.  Brown beef and onions in a skillet.  Resist the urge to drain off the fat and add the salt and chili powder.  Lower heat to simmer while you prepare the dough.

3.  Preheat oven to 375º.  Line two cookie sheets with parchment paper (there's an egg wash).  Carefully open pastry sheets and roll out on a lightly floured board to 12" x 12" sheets.  Cut each sheet in fourths (6" squares).

4.  With a slotted spoon, so most of the drippings stay in the pan, divide the ground beef mixture evenly among the eight squares, keeping it as close to the center as possible.  Add chopped dates to each package.

5.  Prepare an egg wash by beating the egg.  Moisten the edges of each square and pull up the corners to the center.  Pinch the seams closed completely, but open the top to allow venting.  Transfer each package to a cookie sheet with a spatula.  Brush on egg wash and place in oven.  Bake for 20 minutes, until dark golden brown.  (The beef is pre-cooked, so you're just baking the pastry.)

Serve two pieces per person.  To serve as a plated appetizer, allow one per person and garnish plate with caramelized onions and beef gravy.

Difficulty rating  :)