Fleischperischki (meat pastries)

It is interesting how traditions begin in a family. One Christmas Eve many years ago when our children were small, I decided to make these meat pastries and freeze them for an easy Christmas Eve supper after the church service. Together with a fruit salad, dill pickles, and carrot sticks they provided us with some nourishment before we brought out the cookies and candies. Our children loved them with ketchup “dip” and insisted that was the only way to eat them. (We still argue about whether a ketchup bottle belongs on a nicely decorated table, so now we put ketchup into a beautiful little bowl for that special Christmas celebration!)
Together, with listening to Heinrich Schutz’ Weihnachts Historie, a German cantata telling the story of Jesus’ birth, these Perishki form one of our most treasured Christmas traditions. However, our children have also asked for these for those other special occasions such as at the rehearsal dinner for their wedding. They make great finger food for potlucks as well.

Fleischperischki (meat pastries)

Pastry:
I tbsp. yeast (let stand in a cup water for 10 minutes)
2 eggs
1 cup butter or margarine
Flour

Mix as for buns, to make a soft dough. Chill.
Roll out and cut circles using a large round cookie cutter. Fill with the mixture below, pinching the edges together to form a half circle.
Bake at 350 degrees for 20-30 minutes.

Filling:
1 pkg. onion soup mix (dry)
1 cup boiling water
2 cups left over roast beef or hamburger fried.
1 cup mashed potatoes

Lydia Neufeld Harder,
Toronto, Ontario