I tried this recipe sometime ago with ingredients on hand as I was craving to eat something salty and baked. These puffs are super delicious and so easy to make that you just can’t go wrong even if you are a beginner in baking. I just love these puffs so much that I always keep a batch ready in my freezer, all you need to do is just take them out from freezer, brush with some egg wash and bake it. It’s a great starter or an appetizer to serve during tea, as an evening snack or during Ramadan iftar. You can also serve it as a late weekend breakfast too.
I made these with feta cheese but I also sometimes make it with ricotta cheese instead and then I omit adding egg in the filling as ricotta cheese is wet enough to keep the filling moist. And if you are using ricotta cheese then do add seasoning to it as feta cheese and za’atar are already salty enough and you don’t need any extra seasoning in the filling.
YIELDS: 8-12 pieces
PREP TIME: 10-15 minutes
COOKING TIME: 20 minutes
TOTAL TIME: 30-35 minutes
INGREDIENTS
200g/12 frozen spinach briquettes
3 tbsp za’atar mix
200g feta cheese, creamy and crumbled
1 egg, lightly beaten
1 tbsp milk
12 frozen puff pastry squares, 4”x 4”
METHOD
Defrost and thaw spinach briquettes, put them in a strainer and squeeze out all excess water pressing down with the back of a spoon. Remove spinach in a bowl.
Add, za’atar mix, feta cheese and half egg to the spinach, mix well; add milk to rest of the half egg to brush later.
Thaw pastry squares but make sure they are still cold and not loose and saggy.
Divide spinach mixture in 15 equal portions, place one on each pastry square; brush pastry squares with egg milk mixture about 1cm on each side; bring all 4 corners of pastry to the center and join all 4 open sides by pinching them gently with fingers to secure filling.
Place the puffs on baking tray lined with parchment paper, brush the top with remaining egg milk mixture; bake in preheated oven at 210°C for 18 to 20 minutes.
Serve it with sweet chilli sauce or any sauce of your choice.
COOK'S NOTES:
You can also use ricotta cheese instead and you can prepare them days ahead and freeze it. If you are vegetarian or allergic to eggs, replace it with little cream in the filling and whole milk to brush the pastry.