- 1 large onion, finely chopped (about 1 cup)
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 1 pound ground beef
- ½ teaspoon Aleppo pepper, or ¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper
- ½ teaspoon ground allspice
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ cup pine nuts
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 cup smead (semolina)
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- 2 sticks margarine (½ pound), at room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vegetable oil
- 2 tablespoons sesame seeds
- Preheat the oven to 350°F.
- To make the filling, sauté the onion in the vegetable oil in a medium skillet over medium heat until transparent. Add the meat and brown, breaking it up constantly with a fork. Cook until the liquid has evaporated. Cool and add the Aleppo pepper, allspice, cinnamon, salt, and pine nuts. Set aside.
- To make the dough, combine the flour, smead, and salt. Fold in the margarine and add the vegetable oil. Blend well with your fingertips. Add 2 to 3 ounces of water slowly, stirring to form a smooth dough. Knead well. The dough should be soft and moist.
- To make crescent-shaped bastels, first break off a small walnut-size ball of dough and flatten it into a 3-inch round with a tortilla press lined with wax paper or plastic wrap (to prevent sticking). Use a 3-inch cookie cutter to ensure that the bastel is perfectly round and the exact same size as the rest. Place 1 teaspoon of filling on the circle. Fold the round in half and press to close, making sure the edges are tightly sealed. Make the remaining bastels the same way.
- Alternatively, to make round bastels, press your finger into a walnut-size ball of dough to form a rounded shell with one open end. The thinner you can make the shell, the better; this a tricky step that requires some practice. Fill the hollowed-out shell with about 1 teaspoon of filling. Close by pinching the shell firmly and smoothing with a little water until no crease is visible. Flute the edges for a more refined appearance. Make the remaining bastels.
- Brush the top of each bastel with water and dredge in the sesame seeds. (At this point, you may freeze the bastels to bake at a later date, but be sure to store in one layer in a tightly sealed container lined with waxed paper.) Bake for about 15 minutes, or for 20 minutes if frozen, until they are slightly golden.