This is the pie that makes my child say I'm the best mom in the world several times in one short sitting. No picture can do justice for how wonderful this pie tastes. Whether you have guests coming over to fest or you just love to cook tasty food for your own family, try it once, you'll bake it again and again.

Ingredients

Pastry with cream cheese
8 tbsp. unsalted butter
8 oz cream cheese
2 cups all purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder
a pinch of salt

Filling
1/2 cup short grain white rice
1/2 vegetable or beef bouillon cube
2 tbsp. vegetable oil
1 large onion, finely chopped
10 oz ground meat (I used half pork, half beef)
1 1/2 tsp ground paprika
1/2 tsp ground cayenne pepper
Sea salt
Freshly ground black pepper or white pepper

1/2 tbsp granulated sugar, for sprinkling on the pie lid
1 egg, lightly beaten, for glazing

A baking sheet, lined with baking parchment

Serves 6 as an entrée or 12 as an appetizer

Step 1: Prepare the Pastry

Put the butter and cream cheese in a mixing bowl and beat together with a wooden spoon until well mixed.
In a separate bowl, sift the flour and baking powder, add salt and mix well.
Tip the dry ingredients mix into the mixing bowl and mix until a dough forms.
Divide the dough into two, flatten them into disks, wrap each portion in plastic wrap.
Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.

Step 2: Cook the Rice

Crumble the bouillon cube into the saucepan.
Cook the rice according to the instructions.
When the rice is ready, set it aside to cool while you make the rest of the filling.

Step 3: Cook the Onion

Heat 1 tbsp of the oil in a skillet and fry the onion until soft and golden.
Remove the onion from the skillet and set it aside to cool in a mixing bowl.

Step 4: Cook the Meat

Put the remaining oil in the skillet and fry the ground meat, stir often, until cooked and evenly browned.
Season with the paprika, cayenne pepper, salt and black or white pepper, to taste.
Set aside to cool.

Step 5: Combine and Mix the Filling

When the rice, the onion and the meat have cooled down slightly, combine and mix them in the mixing bowl.

Preheat the oven to 400F.

Step 6: Assemble the Pie

Lightly flour your rolling surface.
Take one disk of the pastry out of refrigerator and remove the plastic wrap.
Roll it on the floured surface into a rectangular about 12 X 10 inches.
Gently and loosely roll the rectangle around the rolling pin and transfer it to the prepared baking sheet for the base of the pile.

Repeat rolling the second disk of the pastry to the same size rectangle.
Sprinkle granulated sugar on top of it, roll the rolling pin gently over it to make the sugar grains stick. This is a trick to make the pie crust have a nice caramelized color when baked.

Spoon the filling evenly over the pie base, leaving a 1 inch border. brush the border with the beaten egg.

Gently and loosely roll the second rectangle of pastry around the rolling pin and lay it neatly over the filling as pie lid.
Brush the beaten egg over the pie lid.
Prick it in a few places with a fork.
Very lightly score diagonal lines across the top.