Tiropitakia (Greek cheese pies)
Similar to the spanakopitakia recipe, these triangular shaped tiropitakia are filled with a creamy mixture of Greek feta, halloumi cheese and fresh herbs. Delicious served with breakfast or a snack.
TIROPITAKIA
Makes approx. 12
350g halloumi cheese, grated
350g Greek feta, crumbled
1/2 cup finely chopped fresh mint or dill
1 large egg
Freshly ground black pepper
230g traditional Greek phyllo pastry
extra virgin oil for brushing
Mix the feta, halloumi cheese, herbs and lightly beaten egg in a bowl. Season with black pepper but salt is not necessary as the cheese is quite salty. Set the filling aside while you prepare the pastry.
Unroll phyllo pastry, cut the large sheets in half lengthways and cover with a damp dish towel to keep them from drying out.
Arrange phyllo, filling and extra olive oil on a working surface. Brush two sheets of phyllo lightly with olive oil, take one heaped tablespoon of filling and place it in the bottom corner of the sheet. Fold filling and pastry over into a V-shape and continue folding over until it resembles a large samosa.
Place triangles into a greased baking dish and continue preparing the remaining tiropitakia. When you’re done, brush over a little olive oil on the tops and sides.
Bake in an oven preheated to 180 degrees C/350 degrees F for about 25 minutes or until golden.
Note on freezing:
After completing step 4, place tiropitakia into a freezer safe container, using a sheet of baking paper between layers to prevent them from sticking together. When you are ready to bake them, place frozen tiropitakia directly onto a baking sheet lined with baking paper and proceed as per step 5.