Cheese Filled Phyllo Pastry Recipes

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Line 2 baking pans with parchment paper.
• Beat the whole egg with 1 teaspoon of water in a small bowl; set aside.
• Beat the egg yolk, cream cheese, sugar, lemon juice and vanilla in a medium bowl with an electric mixer on medium-high speed until smooth.
• Lay out the 2 sheets of puff pastry and cut each into 4 squares. Fold the corners of the squares over by about 1 inch to make octagon shapes. Spoon the cream cheese mixture evenly into the center of each (about 2 tablespoons per); do not spread the cream cheese. Brush all of the exposed pastry with the egg wash, then dust generously with sugar.
• Bake until puffed and golden brown all over, about 18 minutes. Cool slightly before serving.

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
• Unroll the sheets of phyllo dough on a flat surface and cover them with a slightly damp towel. (If the towel is too wet, the dough will get sticky.) Working quickly so the dough doesn't dry out, place one sheet of phyllo on a board, brush lightly with melted butter, and sprinkle lightly with bread crumbs. Place a second sheet of phyllo on top, brush with melted butter, and sprinkle with bread crumbs. Continue until you have 4 sheets stacked up. Cut the sheets in half crosswise to make 2 almost-squares.
• Cut one of the goat cheeses in half horizontally, making 2 thin discs. Place each disc in the center of one phyllo square. Starting at one corner, fold the phyllo up over the cheese and continue folding and pleating the phyllo around the cheese, as though you're wrapping a round gift that's tied on top. You will end with extra phyllo dough on top; twist the excess into a topknot. Brush the discs all over with melted butter and place on a sheet pan lined with parchment paper. Continue with the remaining phyllo dough and 2 goat cheese discs to make 4 additional packages.
• Bake for 20 minutes, until the phyllo is lightly browned. Allow to cool for 5 minutes.
• While the cheese packages bake, place the salad greens in a large bowl. Whisk the vinegar, mustard, garlic, salt, and pepper together in a small bowl. Still whisking, slowly add the olive oil, making an emulsion. Toss the salad greens with enough vinaigrette to moisten.
• Distribute the salad among 6 plates and place one warm goat cheese package in the center of each plate. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and serve.

Steps:

• Defrost the phyllo dough and return the remainder to the freezer. Butter a cookie sheet. Melt the butter and remove from the heat.
• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
• Mix the feta and cream cheese with the egg, parsley, and dill and set aside.
• Layout one sheet of phyllo dough on a counter.
• (Keep the remaining dough covered with a slightly damp towel to prevent its drying out.) Brush the sheet of dough with some melted butter. Cut it the short way into 5 strips, about 3x10 inches each. Place 1-1/2 teaspoons of the filling at one end of each strip. Roll the strips into cylinders about 1/2 inch in diameter. Continue until all of the dough has been cut, filled, and rolled.
• Arrange 2 to 3 cylinder per person on the cookie sheet and brush them with more butter. (Freeze the rest of the cylinders, unbaked, for use at another time.) Bake for about 10 minutes, or until the cylinders are well browned and very flaky.
• Bureks, frozen unbaked, can go directly from the freezer into a preheated 375-degree F oven to make an instant hors d'oeuvre.

Steps:

• To make filling, press spinach in fine strainer to remove all excess moisture; combine with cheeses, eggs, nutmeg and pepper. Set aside. , To assemble pastries, have the following ready: melted butter, pastry brush, knife, a clean, slightly damp towel, the filling, baking sheet and large work surface. Open box of dough; carefully unfold sheets. Pull off 2 sheets; place together on work surface and brush lightly with butter. Pull off another sheet. Place directly over others; brush again with butter. Repeat until you have layered 5 sheets. Cover unused dough with damp towel. , Cut prepared layers in half vertically, then cut halves into 6 strips vertically. Place 1-1/2 teaspoons of filling at the top of each strip. Fold each strip into triangles (as you would fold a flag), starting at bottom near filling. Repeat with additional layers of phyllo dough until the filling is gone. Place pastries on ungreased baking sheet; brush with butter. , Bake at 400° until golden brown, about 10-15 minutes. (Uncooked pastries can be frozen for later use. Frozen pastries can go directly into oven, but baking time must be increased.)

Steps:

• In a large bowl, combine the cheese, sugar, eggs and vanilla and beat with a mixer till creamy smooth.
• Brush the bottom of a 10x14x2 inch baking pan or dish with the butter. Have ready the filo sheets, keeping them covered with plastic wrap to prevent them from drying out. Lay a filo sheet in the bottom of the pan and brush with butter. Repeat, brushing with butter, 5 more times.
• Pour the filling mixture over the stacked and buttered filo sheets. Drizzle the filling with a little melted butter, then layer 5 more filo sheets on top, again brushing each sheet.
• Cover the pan and refrigerate until the butter firms up. Can be pre-assembled up to this point.
• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
• With a sharp knife, score the surface of the pastry through the top 5 sheets of filo dough into 10 diamonds or rectangles. Bake until golden brown, 35 to 40 minutes. Transfer pastry to a rack and let cool for 10 minutes. Cut along the score marks and finish allowing to cool until warm or to room temperature. Dust with powdered sugar and serve.

Steps:

• In a medium mixing bowl, blend the cheese, egg, and cilantro with a fork.
• On a clean, flat work surface, unroll the phyllo sheets. Cut into strips about 3 in/7.5 cm wide and at least 9 in/23 cm long. Arrange a couple of the strips facing away from you; cover the remaining strips with plastic wrap to keep them from drying out. Lightly brush the strips with olive oil.
• Place 1 Tbsp of the cheese filling on the end of each strip closest to you. Fold over to form a triangle, then fold again to form another triangle, and so on to the end. Brush the end of the triangle with egg yolk and fold the loose end over the brushed yolk. Place the triangles on a plate without letting them touch. Repeat with the remaining phyllo strips and cheese filling.
• Have ready 6 dessert plates. Place a generous dollop of honey in the middle of each.
• In a large skillet or sauté pan, heat at least 1/2 in/1.25 cm of oil until the surface shimmers. Reduce the heat to medium. Working in small batches, gently place the phyllo triangles in the oil and fry, turning once, until firm and golden brown, 30 seconds to 1 minute. Transfer with a slotted spoon to paper towels to drain.
• Place 2 or 3 rolls on each plate, drizzle with honey, and sprinkle with sesame seeds. Serve hot.