Cheese Bourekakia (Greek Appetizer)

Bourekakia is a Turkish name covering all the individual, hand-held pastries made from Phyllo pastry and filled with many different savory fillings – vegetable, meat, cheese, etc. In Greece they commonly take their name from the filling, for instance Kotopitakia (chicken), Tiropitakia (feta cheese), etc.

The recipe here is for Tiropita or tyropita (τυρóπιτα 'cheese-pie'), a Greek layered pastry food in the börek family, made with layers of buttered phyllo and filled with a cheese-egg mixture.

Cheese filled pites is also traditionally shaped into a spiral shape. See The spiral Cheese Pie from Skopelos.

Tiropita

8 ounces cream cheese
1/2 pound feta cheese
2 cups large curd cottage cheese or ricotta
3 egg yolks
2 Tbsp. fresh parsley, minced
1 pound phyllo dough, 24 sheets total
1 cup butter, melted

Cream together the cream cheese, feta cheese, cottage cheese and eggs. Stir in the fresh parsley.

Lay out 1 sheet of phyllo on a work surface, brush with melted butter, add another sheet, butter, then a third sheet and butter. Spoon 1/2 inch wide strip of cheese mixture along one long side of the dough. Roll, tucking in the ends. Place seam side down on a greased cookie sheet. Repeat, making 8 rolls in all.

Bake in a 375 degree oven for about 15 minutes until puffed and browned. Cool 15 minutes and slice diagonally into 6 pieces.

Makes 4 dozen small appetizers.

To Make Smaller Phyllo Rolls

For small phyllo rolls, good for individual servings, cut long edge of layered phyllo into 4 strips; for medium roll cut long edge of layered phyllo in half; for large phyllo rolls use entire fillo sheet.

Place cooled filling at one end of phyllo strip, leaving 1" from end. For small and medium rolls, leave filling ½” from each side free of any filling. For large rolls, leave filling 1" from each side free of any filling.

Bake small and medium phyllo rolls seam side down, at least 1" apart, on ungreased cookie sheet or baking pan for about 12 minutes or until phyllo is golden brown.