Burekas - My Favorite Breakfast Pastries
Serves: 6
Amos O'Hara
1 January 1970
Based on User reviews:
54
Spice
48
Sweetness
53
Sourness
42
mins
Prep time (avg)
5.3
Difficulty
Ingredients:
Directions:
1
Use about 1 tablespoon of filling for each bureka
2
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees
3
Using a pastry brush, coat the bottom of a cookie sheet with some of the melted butter
4
Take a sheet of phyllo and cut lengthwise in strips, 4 1/2 inches wide
5
Butter the strips, fold over lengthwise, butter again, and place a tablespoon of filling on the end
6
Then fold up right to left as you would a flag, so that the end result is a plump triangle, buttering the outside at the end
7
Repeat with the remaining filling and dough
8
Beat the egg, brush the burekas with it, and sprinkle sesame seeds over the tops
9
Place on the cookie sheet and bake for 20 minutes or until golden in color
10
NOTE You can also mold and freeze the burekas after forming
11
Defrost for 2 hours and then bake
12
You can fill any leftover phyllo with chocolate chips or Nutella and make triangular treats
13
THREE WAYS TO FILL A BUREKA 1
14
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees
15
Using a pastry brush, coat the bottom of a cookie sheet with some of the melted butter
16
Take a sheet of phyllo and cut lengthwise in strips, 4 1/2 inches wide
17
Butter the strips, fold over lengthwise, butter again, and place a tablespoon of filling on the end
18
Then fold up right to left as you would a flag, so that the end result is a plump triangle, buttering the outside at the end
19
Repeat with the remaining filling and dough
20
Beat the egg, brush the burekas with it, and sprinkle sesame seeds over the tops
21
Place on the cookie sheet and bake for 20 minutes or until golden in color
22
NOTE You can also mold and freeze the burekas after forming
23
Defrost for 2 hours and then bake
24
You can fill any leftover phyllo with chocolate chips or Nutella and make triangular treats
25
THREE WAYS TO FILL A BUREKA Spinach Filling Yield: About 2 cups, enough filling for about 20 burekas 2 pounds fresh spinach or Swiss chard leaves, washed well, or two 10-ounce packages chopped frozen spinach 2 large eggs, beaten lightly 1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese 1/2 cup grated cheddar cheese 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley 2 tablespoons chopped fresh dill 8 scallions, diced Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste 1
26
Place the fresh spinach or Swiss chard leaves in a frying pan with only the water that clings to the leaves, and cook briefly until they wilt
27
(If using frozen spinach, simply defrost
28
) Drain very well, squeezing out as much of the water as possible
29
Cool and chop
30
Mix together the eggs, feta and cheddar cheeses, parsley, dill, and scallions
31
Add the spinach and salt and pepper to taste; mix well
32
Use about 1 tablespoon of filling for each bureka
33
Yield: About 2 cups, enough filling for about 20 burekas 2 pounds fresh spinach or Swiss chard leaves, washed well, or two 10-ounce packages chopped frozen spinach 2 large eggs, beaten lightly 1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese 1/2 cup grated cheddar cheese 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley 2 tablespoons chopped fresh dill 8 scallions, diced Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste 1
34
Place the fresh spinach or Swiss chard leaves in a frying pan with only the water that clings to the leaves, and cook briefly until they wilt
35
(If using frozen spinach, simply defrost
36
) Drain very well, squeezing out as much of the water as possible
37
Cool and chop
38
Mix together the eggs, feta and cheddar cheeses, parsley, dill, and scallions
39
Add the spinach and salt and pepper to taste; mix well
40
Eggplant Filling Yield: About 2 cups, enough filling for about 20 burekas 2 medium eggplants (about 2 pounds) 1/3 cup kasseri or feta cheese, crumbled 1/3 cup grated sheep or mozzarella cheese 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro or parsley Salt to taste 1
41
Preheat the oven to 450 degrees
42
Prick the skin of the eggplants all over and roast on an oiled cookie sheet for 25 minutes, turning occasionally
43
Remove the pulp from the skin, discarding the seeds and draining off any extra liquid
44
Cool slightly, then pat dry and coarsely chop
45
Combine the eggplant pulp, cheeses, and cilantro or parsley and mash well with a fork; add salt if needed
46
Use about 1 tablespoon of filling for each bureka
47
Yield: About 2 cups, enough filling for about 20 burekas 2 medium eggplants (about 2 pounds) 1/3 cup kasseri or feta cheese, crumbled 1/3 cup grated sheep or mozzarella cheese 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro or parsley Salt to taste 1
48
Preheat the oven to 450 degrees
49
Prick the skin of the eggplants all over and roast on an oiled cookie sheet for 25 minutes, turning occasionally
50
Remove the pulp from the skin, discarding the seeds and draining off any extra liquid
51
Cool slightly, then pat dry and coarsely chop
52
Combine the eggplant pulp, cheeses, and cilantro or parsley and mash well with a fork; add salt if needed
53
Use about 1 tablespoon of filling for each bureka
54
Cheese Filling Yield: About 2 cups, enough filling for about 20 burekas 2 large eggs 1 cup grated cheddar cheese 1 cup crumbled feta cheese Freshly ground pepper to taste 1
55
Beat the eggs in a small bowl
56
Add the cheddar and feta cheeses and pepper to taste
57
Mix well
58
Use about 1 tablespoon of filling for each bureka
59
Joan Nathan shares her tips with Epicurious: •These pastries came to Israel with Sephardic Jews from Turkey and Greece
60
The first filling is more Greek-influenced, while the other two are more Turkish
61
•Nathan recommends a high-quality Greek feta cheese and a sharp cheddar for the fillings
62
•After folding up the burekas flag-style, be sure to pinch around the edges of each pastry to avoid filling spilling out during baking
63
Yield: About 2 cups, enough filling for about 20 burekas 2 large eggs 1 cup grated cheddar cheese 1 cup crumbled feta cheese Freshly ground pepper to taste 1
64
Beat the eggs in a small bowl
65
Add the cheddar and feta cheeses and pepper to taste
66
Mix well
67
Use about 1 tablespoon of filling for each bureka
68
Joan Nathan shares her tips with Epicurious: •These pastries came to Israel with Sephardic Jews from Turkey and Greece
69
The first filling is more Greek-influenced, while the other two are more Turkish
70
•Nathan recommends a high-quality Greek feta cheese and a sharp cheddar for the fillings
71
•After folding up the burekas flag-style, be sure to pinch around the edges of each pastry to avoid filling spilling out during baking