Middle Eastern · Dessert
Baked Cheese Pastry Pockets
A lightened take on the classic Middle Eastern fried cheese pastry, this version swaps deep-frying for baking and rebuilds the filling on low-fat cottage cheese and Greek yogurt instead of a heavy sweetened cheese paste. Orange zest, vanilla and a whisper of cinnamon keep the filling fragrant while the thin, crisp pastry shell delivers the same satisfying crunch as the fried original, at a fraction of the calories.
$1
25 minsPrep
19 minsCook
64 minsTotal
MediumLevel
Nutrition per serving
207Calories
8.4gProtein
5.2gFat
30.6gCarbs
7.2gSugar
1.1gFiber
327mgSodium
54mgChol
1.5gSat Fat
87mgPotassium
54mgCalcium
1.6mgIron
0.3mcgVitamin B12
1.1mgVitamin C
0gPolyol
0gAllulose
0.3gAlcohol
Goes well with
Pilsner Beer
local
Turkish Tea (Çay)
international
vegetarian
sweet-spot
Instructions
1
In a bowl, mix the flour and salt, then rub in the sunflower oil until the mixture looks sandy.
2
Add the cold water a little at a time and bring together into a smooth, firm dough; knead briefly for 2 minutes, cover and rest for 20 minutes.
3
Meanwhile, stir together the drained cottage cheese, greek yogurt, sugar, orange zest, vanilla extract and cinnamon until smooth to make the filling.
4
Divide the rested dough into 2 equal pieces and roll each out on a lightly floured surface into a thin round, about 12cm across.
5
Spoon half the cheese filling onto one half of each round, leaving a clear border, then fold the dough over to form a half-moon and press the edges firmly to seal.
6
Crimp the sealed edges with a fork, place the pockets on a lined baking sheet, and brush the tops with the beaten egg yolk.
7
Bake in a preheated oven at 190°C (375°F) for 18-20 minutes, until deep golden brown and crisp.
8
Transfer to a wire rack and cool for at least 10 minutes before serving, as the filling is very hot straight from the oven.
Serves
2 portions ·
2 adults, 0 over 10, 0 under 10
Ingredients
- 2.1 oz60g sifted all purpose flour
- 2.5 oz70g drained, mashed cottage cheese lowfat
- 0.5 oz15g greek yogurt
- 0.4 oz10g sugar white
- 1/21/2 egg yolks, beaten, for egg wash (9g)
- 0.1 oz4g zested orange
- 0.1 oz2g vanilla extract
- 0.2 oz5g for brushing dough sunflower oil
- 0 oz1g cinnamon ground
- 0 oz1g salt
- 0.7 oz20g cold water
