Perfect for a party or a midday snack, these golden apps feature all the comforting flavours of a tourtière but sized down to suit any occasion. Serve with your favourite chutney, tomato-based chili sauce or ketchup for dipping.
ingredients
Homemade Pastry (Pie Shells)
Pork Filling
Egg Wash
directions
Alternative: If you don't want to make your own pastry pie shells, you can use 250 g of store-bought pastry dough.You can refrigerate the pastry for up to 3 days or freeze it in a freezer bag for up to 3 months. Let the cold pastry stand for 15 minutes at room temperature before rolling it out.
In a food processor, blend the flour and salt. Add the lard and pulse until the mixture resembles fine crumbs with a few larger pieces. In a liquid measure, beat together the egg and vinegar; pour in enough ice water to make 2/3 cup. With the motor running, add egg mixture all at once.Process just until dough starts to clump together.
Tip the pastry out onto a lightly floured work surface. Divide in half and gently press together into 2 discs. Wrap each disc in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes or until cold and firm.
Meanwhile, in a large skillet, melt the butter over medium-high heat. Brown the pork, breaking up with a spoon, until no pink is visible. Reduce the heat to medium and add in the onion and celery. Cook, stirring occasionally until softened, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic, thyme, Worcestershire sauce, salt, pepper, cinnamon and ground cloves. Add the beef broth. Bring to a simmer and cook, stirring occasionally, until the liquid is reduced by half, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat. Stir in the bread crumbs and parsley.Let the mixture cool slightly.
On a lightly floured work surface, roll out one disc of the homemade dough to scant 1/8-inch (2 mm) thickness. If using store-bought pastry dough, lay out one sheet on a lightly floured work surface. Using a cookie cutter cut out 4-inch (10 cm) circles, rerolling the scraps as necessary to make 12 circles. Spoon 1 heaping tablespoon of the filling into the centre of each circle. Brush the edges with the egg wash mixture of the egg and water.
Bring up two opposite ends of a round to meet in the centre. Pinch the dough up one side to create a seal, stopping at the centre. Bring the last side up, pinch the centre and down the 2 open sides. Repeat with the remaining rounds, and cut small steam vents in tops with scissors or a knife.
Cover loosely with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1 hour until cold. Note: You can freeze the tourtières until firm, then layer them in an airtight container and freeze for up to 1 month. When baking from frozen, add 5 minutes to the total baking time.
Arrange the tourtières 2 inches (5 cm) apart on large parchment paper-lined rimmed baking sheets. Brush the tops lightly with the egg mixture. Bake in the oven at 375ºF until the tourtières are golden, about 18 minutes. Serve with ketchup as desired.