Sunday, November 12, 2006

Cigarette Shaped Pastries

Cigarette shaped pastry is as a snack for teatime or as a finger food at parties. The pastries are typically served with tea at Sunday breakfasts. While cigarette shaped pastries are usually fried, they can also be baked.

Ingredients

2 phyllo pastries

1 cup feta cheese crumbled with a fork

½ bunch chopped fresh parsley

2 egg yolks

1 tablespoon sesame and black cumin seeds

1 dessert spoon red pepper flakes

1 cup olive oil

If you bake, additionally 1 tablespoon melted butter,

1 dessert spoon olive oil

Directions

1. Mix cheese and parsley in a bowl. Season with red pepper flakes.

2. Put the pastries on top of one another. Cut phyllo pastries from 12 o'clock to 6 o'clock, then from 9 o'clock to 3 o'clock, now you get 4 triangles for each pastry. Then cut each triangle into 2 or 3 so that you get 8 or 12 triangles for each pastry, it is up to your choice.

3. Take each piece seperately, put 1 dessert spoon of cheese and parsley mixture on wide edge, fold the corners, then roll like a cigarette, seal the narrow edge with one drop of water.

4. Beat the egg yolks. Brush over the cigarette pastries. Sprinkle sesame and black cumin seeds over each pastry.

5. Heat a large frying pan over medium-low heat. In the frying pan, heat 1 cup, or more, of olive oil over medium high heat. Make sure you have at least 1 cup of oil, so it will cover the cigarette pastries. When oil is hot, carefully add the cigarette pastries in batches and fry until golden on both sides. Add more oil, if necessary.

6. Remove from pan with a slotted spoon, set aside on paper towels to absorb excess oil, and discard any leftover oil.

As an alternative to frying, brush each piece with melted butter before rolling. Beat the egg yolk with 1 dessert spoon of olive oil and brush over each piece and bake them in a preheated oven until they become golden.

Serve freshly fried.

Have a good appetite!

No comments: