Mushroom piroshki

My mum would make these little mushroom piroshki at Christmas, where they were a welcome counterpoint to all the sweet treats. I have no idea where this recipe came from originally – I found it on a handwritten card in mum’s recipe box when I was gathering recipes for Fern’s Food.

Mushroom piroshki
(makes 18-20)

• 2 Tb butter
• 225g (1/2 lb) fresh mushrooms, finely chopped
• 3 green onions, finely chopped
• 1 Tb parsley, chopped
• 1 Tb fresh dill, chopped (or 1/2 tsp dried dill)
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 2 Tb sour cream
• 1 batch shortcrust pastry (unsweetened)
• 1 egg yolk, beaten

1. Preheat oven to 400°F.
2. Melt butter in a skillet over medium heat. Add the mushrooms and green onion and sauté for five minutes until tender. Remove from the heat.
3. Allow the mixture to cool, then stir in the parsley, dill, salt  and sour cream.
4. On a floured surface, roll the pastry out to 1/8″ thick. Cut out 2″ circles.
5. Place a rounded teaspoonful of mushroom filling on each circle. Dip your finger in a dish of water, and run it round half the edge of the pastry circle.
6. Fold the dry half of the pastry over the filling and press down onto the wet half. Crimp the edges together with the tines of a fork.
7. Using a pastry brush, brush the tops of the pastries with egg yolk.
8. Bake for 20-25 minutes on an ungreased baking tray until golden.

Tags: dill, finger foods, mushrooms, vegetarian