Romaniote Cheese Pastries – Tiropitakia
Consider serving these tasty treats at your High Holiday gathering.
The Romaniote Jews are the ancient residents of Greece, having arrived during Roman times. They spoke Yevanic, a Greek dialect written using the Hebrew alphabet. Over the centuries, they lived in close community with Sephardic Jews who arrived in Greece after their expulsion from Spain in the late 15th century. Both communities were decimated by the Holocaust.
The last surviving Romaniote synagogue in America is Kehila Kedosha Janina, located on the Lower East Side of New York which was built in 1927.
Ingredients:
8 oz feta cheese
1 large egg
1/4 cup Greek yogurt
1 Tbsp chopped fresh mint, plus more for garnish
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, melted or substitute with non-dairy butter or oil
8 oz prepared phyllo pastry sheets (about 18 sheets cut so that are 9” X 14” each)
1/4 cup sesame seeds
1/3 cup honey
Directions:
Preheat the oven to 350°F.
Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone mat.
In a bowl, combine the feta, egg, yogurt and 1 Tbsp chopped mint. Set aside your filling.
Unwrap your phyllo. Brush the top of the sheet with melted butter. As you form the pastries, keep the phyllo moist by covering covered with a lightly damp cloth.
Place 1 Tbsp of the feta filling into the bottom center of the sheet, horizontally, leaving about ½ an inch from the bottom. Fold the right side a third over the filling, then fold the opposite left side over the filling, and the phyllo will now be a long strip about 3” wide and 14” long.
Fold the bottom corner up and over the mixture, forming a triangle and encasing the filling. Continue to fold the triangle upon itself, from side to side, until you’ve used the entire sheet of phyllo.
Brush all of the formed triangles with melted butter and sprinkle the tops with sesame seeds.
Bake for 25-30 minutes, or until deep golden brown After baking, drizzle warm honey over the triangles and serve.
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