Like all great love stories, this one had to wait for the perfect moment.
This recipe has been patiently waiting for Chag HaShavuot.
“Pastry” – that’s what we call it at home.
The name itself implies what’s inside
And how happy we’ll all be once it comes out of the oven.
I tasted this pastry for the first time a year ago, as a guest,
but I had no one to ask to get the recipe.
So obviously, the first thing I did when I got home was to reenact the moment:
Delicate pastry dough on the outside, filled with different types of cheeses and spinach.
Of course, I had a few very important conditions for this dish:
It had to be easy to make, not require the use of too many dishes (so it could be made for family dinners in the middle of the week), and it had to be a flexible recipe (meaning, it could be made with whatever ingredients are already in the fridge).
It had to be easy to make, not require the use of too many dishes (so it could be made for family dinners in the middle of the week), and it had to be a flexible recipe (meaning, it could be made with whatever ingredients are already in the fridge).
The dough takes three (3!!) minutes to make, the filling takes a second and a half, and there’s even a secret trick to avoid making a mess on the counter.
This pastry is already part of our family, and I hope it will be part of yours too.
Cheese and Spinach Pastry
Ingredients for the dough:
8 tablespoons of butter
1 cup milk
2 cups all purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
Ingredients for the filling:
3 cups (approx) of soft white cheeses: cottage cheese, sour cream, ricotta, or whatever you have on hand
1/2 cup (or more) of fancier cheese: crumbled feta, shredded mozzarella, or anything else you have in the fridge
salt & pepper, according to taste
fresh spinach leaves, washed (baby spinach also works well)
Optional:
1 beaten egg
sesame seeds
Tools needed:
1 large bowl for the dough (microwave-safe)
1 medium bowl for the filling
rolling pin
spoon
measuring cup
3 sheets of parchment paper
1 small bowl + fork + pastry brush
1 large rectangular baking sheet
(Dairy ~ makes two elongated rolls)
Directions:
- Preheat the oven to 180 degrees Celsius / 350 Fahrenheit, and cover the baking sheet with parchment paper.
-
Place butter and milk In a large bowl, and melt in the microwave on high heat for 1 minute. Mix well. If the butter hasn’t melted yet, keep microwaving the mixture for 30 second intervals.
-
Add flour and baking powder and mix well with a spoon. Eventually, begin to knead the mixture with one hand (the other holding the bowl steady), until it forms into a smooth dough. If the dough sticks to your hand, add a tablespoon of flour at a time, but not too much — otherwise, the dough will dry out.
-
In a separate bowl, mix all the cheeses together.
- Separate the dough into two parts. Using the rolling pin, flatten one half between two sheets of parchment paper (secret trick!)
-
Place half of the cheese mixture on the center of the dough
-
Arrange the spinach leaves on top of the cheese
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With the help of the paper, fold over one side of the dough on top of the filling, and then fold over the other side. Pinch the edges together so he filling won’t spill out.
-
Carefully transfer the pastry onto the baking sheet, and then repeat the process with the other half of dough.
-
Brush the dough with the beaten egg and sprinkle on the sesame seeds.
-
Bake for 30 minutes and serve warm.
I don’t know how long this pastry stays fresh for – at our house, it’s usually devoured in a few hours or less. You can keep in a airtight plastic container in the fridge for up to four days.
This recipe also freezes well, sealed in an airtight container or plastic bag.
Enjoy!!! 
So many words have been said about mothers.
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