Puff Pastry Parcels with Ground Beef, Dried Currants and Almonds

Keeping a package of good quality puff pastry in the freezer, makes it easy to create a wide variety of pastry treats.
This time, I’ve used it to create the following small crispy savory “parcels”, which were filled with a tasty beef, dried currants and roasted almonds filling.
Starting with lightly sautéed onions, spiced with allspice, nutmeg and four peppers mix, the meat is then added, along with dried currants and thyme, and cooked until the liquids evaporate.
The dried currants add a hint of tangy- sweetness to the meat, the thyme adds its fresh herbed aroma, and some lightly roasted almonds add a nutty flavor and crunchy texture.
This tasty meat filling is then wrapped in the buttery puff pastry, and baked until crispy and golden-brown.
The warm and aromatic parcels are perfect as a finger-food appetizer, or as part of a buffet food display. Another option is to serve 3-4 of them on one plate, with green salad, as a light lunch; with or without lemony Tahini dip on the side. Try them and enjoy.

Notes:
* The baked parcels can be frozen, in an air tight container, for up to a month. For best results, bring to room temperature and reheat in a toaster oven, not the microwave.

Makes: 40
Prep time: 15 minutes
Cooking time for the meat: 15-20 minutes
Baking time: 25 minutes

Ingredients:
For the meat filling:
2 small onions, small diced
2 Tbs olive oil
2 tsp salt
¼ tsp sugar
½ tsp freshly ground four peppers mix
¼ tsp allspice powder
¼ tsp freshly grated nutmeg.
1 lbs (455 grams) ground beef (at least 15% fat)
1 Tbs fresh thyme, crumbled
2 Tbs dried currants
½ cup lightly toasted slivered almonds
For the pastry:
1 package (18.3oz/520 grams) frozen all-butter puff pastry, thawed (I used Trader Joe’s)
For the egg wash:
1 L egg yolk, mixed with 2-3 Tbs water
For serving (optional):
3 Tbs Tahini sesame paste, mixed with 2 tsp fresh lemon juice, ½ tsp salt and 3 Tbs water
Fresh thyme

1. Mix the onions with the olive oil, salt, sugar, pepper, allspice and nutmeg. Sauté over medium-high heat, mixing occasionally, for 3-4 minutes, until soft and translucent. Add the meat, mix with a spatula, to break any lumps. Add the thyme and dried currants, and cook, mixing occasionally, for about 10-15 minutes, until the meat is fully cooked and the liquids evaporate. Mix, taste and adjust seasoning. Bring to room temperature.
2. Preheat the oven to 400F (205C). Line a sheet pan with baking paper.
3. Place one sheet of dough over a lightly floured work space. Gently roll the dough, just to stretch it a bit. Brush lightly with the egg wash, and cut with a sharp knife into 20 squares.
4. Place 1 heaped teaspoon of the meat filling over each square, and add a few sliced roasted almonds on top. Fold the dough corners from both sides towards the middle, as shown in the photos. Brush the tops lightly with egg wash, and place on the pan. Repeat with the rest of the dough and meat filling.
5. Bake for about 25 minutes, until puffed and golden-brown. Serve warm, as is, or with Tahini and thyme.