Poppy seeds may be used to garnish these delicious Russian turnovers. Poppy seeds are mainly used in Central European, Middle Eastern and Indian dishes and add color to these pastries. I use cream cheese in place of the traditional sour cream.

Meat Filling

    2 pounds lean ground beef
    2 cups chopped yellow onions
    1 1/2 cups water
    1 tablespoon beef base
    1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
    1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
    1/4 teaspoon seasoning salt
    3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
    1/4 cup cold water

Cream Cheese Pastry

    4 cups all-purpose flour
    1/2 teaspoon salt
    2 (8-ounce) packages cold Neufchâtel cheese
    1 cup cold butter which is workable
    1/2 cup ice cold water

Egg Wash and Topping

    2 large egg yolks
    2 tablespoons water
    Poppy seeds


1.  Meat filling: In a 5-quart nonstick sauté pan, brown the beef
     and drain the fat. Stir in the onions, water, beef base,
     Worcestershire sauce, parsley and seasoning salt; cook 10
     minutes. Mix the 3 tablespoons flour with the 1/4 cup water
     and add a little of the hot liquid from the beef. Stir back into
     the meat. Cook about 10 more minutes or until the liquid has
     evaporated but the meat is coated in a thick sauce. Cool.

2.  Preheat the oven to 400 .

3.  Pastry: Measure the flour and salt into a large bowl. Use your
     fingertips to rub the Neufchâtel cheese and butter into
     the flour. Sprinkle with the 1/2 cup ice water and form a ball.

4.  Flour a breadboard. Cut the dough into 32 pieces, shape little balls.
     Roll each ball out to a round, 5 inches in diameter.

5.  Once you have rolled out each round, place a tablespoon of meat
     filling on half of each round. Moisten lower edge pastry with water.
     Fold the unfilled half up over the filled half. Seal with a fork dipped
     in flour and set pastries on a baking sheet.

6.  Mix the egg yolk and water, then brush on pastries with a
     pastry brush. Sprinkle pastries lightly with poppy seeds.

7.  Bake in the preheated oven 8-12 minutes. Serve warm.

     Hint 1: A favorite way to make pastries, is to place the filling
     in the middle of the pastry round and wet the outer edge with water.
     Pinch edges together in a number of places to form a daisy shape
     when you look from the top. The filling should be completely    |
      enclosed. Pinch middle edges of pastry together to ensure a complete 
    form once cooked.

     Hint 2: These pastries are best when served with gravy. Melt 3/4 cup
     butter in a 5-quart sauté pan. Add 3/4 cup flour and use a whisk to stir
     quickly. Add 6 cups of water; whisk in well. Whisk in 2 tablespoons  
      beef base and 1 tablespoon Gravymaster browning sauce. Season 
     with pepper.

     Makes 32 meat pastries