This is the first Christmas since my grandmother died, and I miss her very much. So I’m sharing another one of her recipes with you, this time a savory one, which she’d serve as an appetizer before Christmas dinner.

I’ve never made this recipe, but maybe I will this weekend. Looking it over, it seems like you could stretch the making of these out over several days, which is handy if you have several days with only a little bit of time to devote to cooking.

Mushroom Turnovers
(makes 2 1/2 dozen)

Pastry
1 1/2 cup flour
1 cup butter
1/2 cup sour cream

• Cut butter into flour.
• Stir in sour cream until pastry holds together.
• Form into ball. Divide in half.
• Refrigerate 8 hours.

Filling
1 lb mushrooms, chopped
2 Tbsp shallots, chopped
2/3 cup evaporated milk (Gramma notes this is the size of a small can)
1/2 tsp salt
1/8 tsp pepper
2 Tbsp chopped parsley

• Cook mushrooms 3–4 minutes.
• Add shallots, salt, pepper, and milk.
• Simmer 15–20 minutes ’til thick and [creamed? creamy?].
• Will keep in refrigerator 3–4 days.

Assembly

• Roll out 1/2 of your pastry to 14″ square.
• Cut out circles with 3 1/2″ cutter.
• Refrigerate scraps before re-rolling.
• Place scant Tbsp of filling in center of each circle.
• (Touch edge of circle with dab of water before folding over.) Fold dough over filling. Seal edges.
• Cut slashes on top.
• Place on ungreased cookie sheets.

Egg Wash
1 egg yolk
2 tsp water

• Combine yolk and water.
• Brush on top of turnovers with pastry brush.
• Bake 350°F for 25 minutes.
• Cool on rack.

They can be frozen for up to 2 months.

Today’s song is a favorite from growing up: The Statler Brothers’ “The Carols Those Kids Used to Sing”: