I’ve only worked with phyllo once before. So, I totally expected this to be a disaster. Much to my surprise, it worked out nicely!
Maybe I could have let them cook a little longer just to get a more golden brown. They tasted great. I took about 3/4 cup of whole milk ricotta, about 1/2 cup grated Parmesan, 1/2 cup crumbled Feta, an egg yolk, fresh basil and other herbs and mixed it all together, forming a thick paste. That was my filling. Then you brush a sheet of phyllo with melted butter. Mine kept sticking together. Basically, I could only separate two pieces together from the rest of the bundle. So, when I say a sheet, I really mean two stuck together. Then I put another sheet on top of the first and brushed it with butter. Then, cut the sheet into 5 strips the short way. Put about 1 teaspoon of the filling about an inch from the top and start folding like a flag. It basically seals itself up like that. Put the triangles on a greased baking sheet and bake at 350 degrees for 25 minutes or so.
They were so crispy and delicate when they were served warm from the oven. I let them sit at room temp for a couple of hours just to see how well they would hold up for a party snack. Excellent! Still great little crunchy layers and a tasty cheese filling. The only issue with them for finger food is that they’re almost too big and very flakey. Might be better if you could just pop the whole thing in your mouth at once. And maybe a little chopped up prosciutto or other meat would be a nice addition to the filling.
Fun!
4 responses so far ↓
sweetnsavory // May 28, 2008 at 12:55 am |
that sounds awesome. i’ve always wanted to experiment with phyllo, but i’m a wuss.
paninigirl // May 28, 2008 at 2:43 pm |
Margie-some tips for phyllo-be sure to let it defrost in its box in the fridge. When you take it out of the box and lay it out flat, make sure to keep it covered with a dishtowel, so it doesn’t dry out. This might make it easier to separate. You can also fill them, then put on a cookie sheet and freeze-later put in to baggies and keep in freezer until a party! Hope this helps. Great job for the first time.
michelle // May 29, 2008 at 5:12 pm |
those sound absolutely delicious! i haven’t worked with phyllo dough before… only dabbled with the puff pastry. however, those look so great i feel like i should try
Margie // May 29, 2008 at 10:49 pm |
Paninigirl – I did all that and it was still a little on the dry side to work with. The last box I used was a different brand and I didn’t have this problem at all. So, who knows? I guess I should use the other brand next time.
michelle – You really should try it. Super easy really. And the fact that I couldn’t separate every single sheet didn’t seem to be a problem once they were baked. Really light and flakey.