Freezer-Friendly Mushroom Pastries (Print Version)

# Ingredients:

→ Pastry

01 - 250 gram package cold cream cheese, cubed
02 - 110 grams or 1/2 cup ice cold butter, cubed
03 - 180 grams or 1 1/2 cup all-purpose flour

→ Filling

04 - 60 grams or 2 tablespoons butter
05 - 350 grams or 3/4 pound fresh mushrooms, minced
06 - 100 grams or 1/2 medium onion, minced
07 - 1/8 teaspoon dried thyme
08 - ¼ teaspoon salt
09 - ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
10 - 1 ½ teaspoons all-purpose flour
11 - 125 grams or 1/2 cup sour cream

→ For Assembly

12 - Egg yolk for brushing on pastry

# Instructions:

01 - Mix cream cheese and 1/2 cup butter. Add flour until fully incorporated and form into a ball; divide and set one ball aside, covered lightly at room temperature while making filling and wrap the other in plastic and chill.
02 - Place flour and butter into mixing bowl and pulse for 2 seconds on Turbo 2-3 times until mealy. Place cream cheese into mixing bowl and pulse for 2 seconds on Turbo 2-3 times until ingredients begin to form into a ball. Remove ingredients from mixing bowl to another bowl or place on the counter and form into 2 balls by hand; wrap one in plastic and chill and set the other aside, covered lightly at room temperature while making filling.
03 - Melt 2 tablespoons of butter in a large skillet; add mushrooms, onion, thyme, salt and pepper. Saute, stirring constantly, until tender (about 5 minutes). Sprinkle flour over ingredients to avoid lumps; stir to thicken. Reduce heat to low; stir in sour cream. Heat just until thickened; remove from heat. Mixture should not be runny: it should sit in a mound on the pastry without spreading.
04 - On a lightly floured surface, roll dough to less than 1/4 inch thickness; cut into 2.5 inch rounds with fluted cutter. Place small amount of filling in the middle of each circle (a heaping teaspoon); dot water along inside edge of each pastry circle to seal. Fold dough over filling to form a half-circle; press to seal dampened edges. Place on cookie sheet lined with parchment paper; press edges with a fork and puncture each decoratively to release steam while cooking OR recut sealed edges with the cutter, as illustrated.
05 - Pre-heat oven to 375°F if baking immediately. Brush with egg yolk; bake for 12 minutes, at 350°F, or until golden brown.
06 - Brush with egg yolk and freeze on parchment-lined cookie sheet overnight; then package into labelled and dated zip-lock freezer bags. Remove from freezer, place on parchment-lined cookie sheet and bake frozen at 400°F for 15 – 18 minutes, until golden.

# Notes:

01 - These make-ahead freezer turnovers have been a family favourite for well over 30 years.
02 - They are a bit finicky to make, so get everything done and form them one evening when watching a great movie.

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