Try this Middle-Eastern, Balkan pastry for a make-ahead holiday appetizer
Sledding parties, apres-ski suppers, open houses, cocktails around the fire, holiday potlucks. We are counting down the final days of 2022, and we want to make the most of them.
Despite the delights, our holidays do seem to get more and more hectic every year. But this year, in particular, I want to have a stress-free holiday. I want to enjoy visiting with my friends when we see each other, and to immerse myself with my family when they come in from out-oftown. And when toasting each other with good cheer, I want to serve something a little more special than cheese and crackers. I want to make a selection of memorable appetizers that will show them all how much I care. And I want to make them ahead — well ahead.
I think back to my own Greek mother, who always had some tasty treats made with phyllo in her freezer in case of unexpected guests. She would bake just what she needed on the day that she needed them. Her visitors always felt pampered, as well as impressed that she could produce such a lovely spread on demand. So, drawing on my own Greek heritage, I’ve decided to follow suit and make a selection of phyllo appetizers.
Phyllo (pronounced FEElow) is a paper-thin pastry sheet which is brushed with butter and layered with filling to produce a flaky, show-stopping result. Think spanakopita, the iconic Greek spinach-feta pie, or baklava, the sweet, honeyed, walnut and cinnamon dessert. But I will be making individual bite-size phyllo triangles, rolls and purses with several different traditional and nontraditional fillings. And because of personal experience — as well as the high butter content — I know they will freeze beautifully.
I’m not going to lie to you — making phyllo appetizers is time consuming. I will be busy all day when I make them. But the effort is always worth it. And by making them ahead, I should be pretty much carefree at partytime, whether I am a host or a dish-bearing guest. One pound of phyllo dough, which is found in the frozen food section of the grocery store, has 18-20 sheets, and is enough to make as many as sixdozen appetizer pastries, depending on the size and shape. That’s a lot of holiday snacking.
I plan to use three different fillings for the appetizers. The first is spanakopita, which everybody loves — a little spinach hand pie with tangy feta and savory scallions. The second, called tiropita, is also traditional, yet even simpler. This filling consists of just feta cheese mixed with eggs. Uncomplicated, but irresistible. And the third filling will not be traditional at all, but fabulous nonetheless — a spicy black bean and cilantro mixture showcased in elegant little phyllo purses. This adds the flavor of New Mexico to the mix, which is always a welcome addition.
I hope you give these delicious morsels a try. To get you started, here are a few step-by-step techniques that you can adapt and make your own. Once you’ve mastered making them, you may want to keep some phyllo delicacies in your freezer all year long.
Kali Xronia! Happy Holidays!