Bourekakia Greek Style Cheese Filled Diamonds Recipes

BOUREKAKIA (BAKLAVA 'CIGARS')

Steps:

• For syrup: Cook all ingredients in saucepan over low heat, swirling pan occasionally, until sugar dissolves, then boil 15 minutes.
• Cool completely; strain.
• For filling: Combine walnuts, cinnamon and cloves.
• Blend in 1 cup syrup and whites (mixture should not be too stiff; add up to ¼ cup additional syrup, if necessary.).
• To assemble: Preheat oven to 350°F.
• Cut phyllo into 5 x 8 inch strips.
• Cover with plastic wrap and a damp towel until ready to use.
• Take a strip and brush it lightly with melted butter.
• Spread 1 heaping teaspoon of filling along narrow edge.
• Fold in sides ½ inch toward center; brush sides lightly with butter; roll up tightly.
• Repeat with remaining strips.
• Arrange seam side down on baking sheet.
• Brush with remaining butter.
• (They can be frozen at this point � increase baking time to 30-35 minutes if baking them frozen).
• Bake until golden and crisp, 20-25 minutes.
• Cool completely.
• Dust lightly with powdered sugar.

CHEESE BOUREKAS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease a baking sheet.
• Beat 1 egg in a medium bowl, and mix in the cheese. Season with parsley, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, and pepper.
• On a lightly floured surface, cut each sheet of puff pastry into 6 equal squares to give 12 squares in total. Beat the remaining egg with water in small bowl. Brush edges of each square lightly with egg wash. Place a heaping tablespoon of the cheese mixture in the center of each square. Fold pastry over the filling, and seal edges with a fork. Transfer to the prepared baking sheet, brush with remaining egg wash and sprinkle with sesame seeds.
• Bake in the preheated oven 30 minutes, or until golden brown. Serve immediately.

BOUREKAKIA (MEAT TRIANGLES)

Steps:

• In a saucepan add oil and saute onion. Add mince and brown add tomato paste with about 2 cups water, marsala spices,cook on medium heat until mince is cooked and not much sauce remaining in pan.
• Remove from stove, add grated feta cheese, beaten eggs stir; put aside.
• Remove phyllo pastry from packet (there are about 22-24 sheets) cut down lengthwise.
• Keep covered with a moist tea towel as they dry out quickly if uncovered.
• Take one cut sheet brush with melted butter, fold lengthwise again now you have a long strip doubled.
• At bottom place a spoonful of mixture.
• Pick phyllo from bottom and fold upwards about 3cm enclosing the meat mixture press sides, then start folding to make a triangle making sure the corners are not sticking outside the fold.
• You go right, right, bring that point to the left side and left again and so on until you reach the top.
• Brush top of triangle with melted butter and place on baking greased baking tray, when tray is full bake in oven at 200°C until golden brown.
• These triangles can be frozen uncooked.
• When cooking from frozen stage don't defrost first.
• Have a hot over and bake on 200°C.
• Sometimes you may have to flip them over in the oven.

GREEK YOGURT BOUREKAKIA

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°F. Sift flour, baking powder and salt into large bowl. Add butter, yogurt and 2 eggs and stir to blend. Knead with hands in bowl until smooth soft dough forms. Transfer dough to floured surface. Roll out to 12-inch square, about 1/2 inch thick. Cut square into 13 strips, then cut each strip crosswise into 4 equal strips.
• Place strips on large baking sheet. Brush tops with yolks. Mix cheese and parsley in bowl. Sprinkle over strips. Bake until golden, about 30 minutes. Serve warm.