Cooking & Baking
Related: About this forumPhyllo dough should be a regulated drug. Discuss.
I will admit that I am addicted to it. I buy wholewheat phyllo and brush it with olive oil and a final finish of butter but otherwise I am powerless.
Spanokopita, check.
Tiropetes, check.
Insanely rich mushroom cream cheese phyllo roll from the original Moosewood cookbook, check.
Lucinda
(31,170 posts)The Moosewood thingy sounds familiar. I need to look that one up!
Gormy Cuss
(30,884 posts)Lucinda
(31,170 posts)We don't have WF around here, but someone probably has it.
Callalily
(14,885 posts)I've only used phyllo on a few occasions, maybe I should ramp up my phyllo repertoire!
Gormy Cuss
(30,884 posts)Bring spinach and feta.
Fortinbras Armstrong
(4,473 posts)The greatest gift of the Ottomans to the world.
Gormy Cuss
(30,884 posts)cbayer
(146,218 posts)I came across a recipe for tuna empanadas that are made with phyllo, but I think I'm just going to have to do a regular dough.
I love phyllo and am going to have to learn to make it if I ever want to eat it again, lol.
Gormy Cuss
(30,884 posts)It's enough of a challenge dealing with the packaged stuff.
locks
(2,012 posts)I've never been able to separate the phyllo or make it work right. Do you have some tips for me; I'd make something with it every day if it was easy!
Gormy Cuss
(30,884 posts)Follow the directions on the package. If you buy frozen dough, do not attempt to handle it until it is completely thawed.
Before starting the separation, dust your hands in flour. Whatever else you do, take your time separating the leaves and separate all that you need for the recipe before starting the assembly. Most of all, understand that one or two leaves of dough will probably rip when you try to separate them. Use the torn ones on the interior of the dish -- it's no big deal.
Also, don't start separating the dough until your filling is cooked, cooled down and ready.
As for making it work, for something like spanakopita or baklava, brush every other layer with melted butter or a 50-50 olive-oil/butter mix. If you brush every layer it gets too soggy.
Finally, before you bake the item score the top of the dough into serving size pieces. It's much neater when you cut the cooked product. Without the scoring the browned layers crumble and come off; with it, most of the time they stay neatly on the piece.
locks
(2,012 posts)I'll try again and be less frustrated, I hope!
Retrograde
(10,069 posts)I made my first spanakopita this week - the first time I've ever used phyllo (packaged - even that took a while to find as it was hidden way on top of the freezer case) and I'm hooked.
I let the package thaw overnight in the fridge, then cleared off a large space on the counter, big enough to lay the phyllo sheets flat and have room to process them: I also covered the ones I wasn't using with a damp towel. They did crumble around the edges, but layering helped, and once the packets were folded it wasn't noticeable. Now I'm going to try a mushroom item with the rest of the package.
And remember - there are very few mistakes a sauce can't cover!
B2G
(9,766 posts)It's a bit of a pain, but SO worth it!!
Gormy Cuss
(30,884 posts)both a pain and worth it.
B2G
(9,766 posts)My kids beg for it.
INGREDIENTS:
Baklava
INGREDIENTS:
2 cups white sugar
2 cups water
1 cup honey
1 cinnamon stick
1/4 lemon
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/2 pounds chopped almonds, toasted
2 tablespoons white sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1 1/2 cups unsalted butter, melted
1 (16 ounce) package frozen phyllo
pastry, thawed
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). In a saucepan over medium heat,
combine 2 cups sugar, water, honey, cinnamon stick, lemon and vanilla. Bring to a
boil, then simmer for 15 minutes, skimming any foam that is formed. Set aside.
In a small bowl, combine chopped almonds, 2 tablespoons sugar, ground cinnamon
and cloves; set aside. Brush butter on bottom of a 9x13 inch pan. Each sheet of
phyllo dough is twice as big as the pan, so cut each in half, making 2 sheets. Place a
sheet of phyllo on bottom of pan, and brush with melted butter. Repeat process for a
total of 8 sheets, buttering each. Sprinkle about 1/4 to 1/3 cup of nut mixture evenly
over the phyllo, and cover with 4 more sheets, buttering each. Continue sprinkling
nuts after every 4 sheets of phyllo, until all but 8 sheets (4 full sheets) are used.
Use remaining 8 sheets for the top layer, buttering each sheet of phyllo. Before
buttering the last sheet, tuck in any loose edges. Press down layers with palms of
your hands. Pour remaining butter over the top. With a large knife, cut 5 strips
lengthwise about 1/2 inch deep, then cut diagonally to form diamond shapes.
Bake in preheated oven for 50 to 60 minutes, or until golden brown. Remove from
oven, and immediately pour syrup over baklava. Allow to cool thoroughly. Cut
diamonds to go all the way through, and serve.
MrMickeysMom
(20,453 posts)It probably on one of my non-stained pages.
Gormy Cuss
(30,884 posts)This phyllo "strudel" is one; the eggplant recipes are others. The banana and carrot breads too.