In a large Dutch oven or heavy bottom pot set over low heat, render the fat from the beef for several minutes, stirring as needed. Drain most of the fat from the pan (1-2 teaspoons leftover will help keep ingredients from sticking) and allow the meat to begin browning. Once a brown “glaze” layer has developed on the bottom of the pan, add 1/2 cup of stock and scrape up all of the brown bits into the meat. Place the ground beef in a large bowl and set aside.
Add the shallots and garlic to the pan with a pinch of salt and cook for several minutes until translucent (a bit of olive oil can be added to the pan if needed). Transfer the shallots and garlic into the bowl with the ground beef.
Add the mushrooms to the pan and cook on low heat until they’ve darkened and reduced in size slightly. Add the ground beef mixture back to the pan along with the cumin, coriander, thyme, cinnamon, salt and remaining stock. Cook for 3-5 minutes, stirring frequently. Once the liquid has reduced and the mixture is thick, remove from the heat.
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F and line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Roll out the pie dough so that it’s very thin. Use a 3 1/2 inch cookie cutter to create rounds. Place half of the rounds on the prepared baking sheets.
Scoop 1 tablespoon of the meat filling into the center of each round, and top with 1 teaspoon of pine nuts. Place a second round on top of the filling and gently press down to cover the filling and remove air pockets. Use a fork to seal the edges by firmly pressing down around the perimeter. Press the fork prongs once into the top of each hand pie to create a steam vent. Brush egg wash on top of the dough and sprinkle with a small amount of salt. Repeat this process with the remaining hand pies.
Bake for 12-15 minutes, or until the dough is cooked through and the top of the pies are golden and shiny from the egg wash. Cool for 5 minutes before serving. May be served warm or at room temperature.
Notes
I used store-bought pie dough as a time saver here; but you can absolutely use your favorite homemade recipe! You could use my tart dough recipe from this Asparagus, Goat Cheese and Chive Quiche (quadruple it). Puff pastry would also work.