Honey Custard Filled Phyllo Triangles With Strawberries Food

MATADOR TRIANGLES

Steps:

• Spray an 8 by 8-inch baking pan with nonstick cooking spray.
• In a heavy saucepan over medium heat combine the milk with the orange zest. Bring to a simmer and allow to sit for a few minutes to incorporate the flavors.
• In a large bowl mix together 2/3 cup sugar, 1/3 cup flour, cornstarch, pumpkin pie spice, vanilla, 2 whole eggs and 1 yolk, (reserve the egg white for breading). Temper the egg mixture by slowly whisking in about 1 cup of the hot milk. While whisking slowly pour the egg mixture into the pan with the remaining milk. Put the saucepan over medium-low heat and bring to a boil, stirring constantly. When the custard is very thick, about 10 minutes, pour it into the prepared baking pan. Cool in refrigerator for about 3 hours until firm.
• Remove custard from pan by inverting the baking pan onto a cutting board. Cut the custard into 4 equal squares. Cut each square diagonally to make 4 triangles per square.
• Heat the canola oil in a high sided skillet over medium heat to 350 degrees F.
• Beat the egg white with 2 tablespoons water in a shallow pie plate. In another pie plate mix together the remaining 1/2 cup of flour, 1/4 cup cornmeal and remaining 2 tablespoons sugar. Dip each triangle into the egg white then into the flour mixture and fry in hot oil until golden brown all over, about 1 minute. Drain on a paper lined sheet pan. Transfer to a serving dish and serve with the strawberry sauce.
• Strawberry Sauce:
• In a blender puree the strawberries with the sugar until smooth. Pour into a small serving bowl.

SABEYEH B'LEBEH (PHYLLO TRIANGLES WITH SWEET RICOTTA FILLING)

Steps:

• Bring the milk to a boil in a medium-size saucepan. Add the cereal and mix well with a spoon. Remove from the heat, add the sugar and stir for 30 seconds to dissolve. Cover and let stand for 3 minutes, allowing the cereal to thicken.
• Place the ricotta and rose water in a large bowl and combine well with the cereal mixture. Set aside.
• Unroll the phyllo dough on a countertop and gently smooth out with dry hands. With a kitchen scissors or very sharp knife, cut the phyllo in half widthwise - along the short end. Reroll one half and securely wrap in a plastic bag, plastic wrap, or aluminum foil (phyllo will keep up to 1 week in the refrigerator; do not refreeze).
• Cut the remaining half lengthwise into 3 equal strips 3 inches wide and about 12 inches long. Place the strips on top of each other to form one stack and cover with a damp towel to keep moist.
• Preheat the oven to 300 degrees for 15 minutes. Combine the butter and oil.
• Working with one strip of dough at a time, gently peel off a single layer of phyllo and place it vertically before you on a clean work surface. Re-cover the stack of phyllo with a damp towel. Using a pastry brush, coat the entire strip lightly with the butter-oil mixture.
• In the bottom left corner, about half an inch from the left and bottom, place 1 teaspoon of the ricotta filling. Fold the bottom right corner over the filling to the leftmost side to form your first triangle shape. Continue to fold the triangle onto itself until you reach the end, brushing with the butter-oil mixture if the phyllo appears dry and cracks while folding.
• Brush the surface and loose edge with the butter-oil mixture. (You may freeze the triangles at this point for up to 3 weeks by gently placing them in a large tin or tightly sealed plastic container in layers, separated by plastic wrap or wax paper. The frozen triangles can be placed directly in the oven.) Place the triangles on an ungreased baking sheet about 1 inch apart.
• Bake until slightly brown and crisp, 12-15 minutes (15-20 minutes for frozen triangles). Serve warm or at room temperature on a large platter, sprinkled with cinnamon and drizzled with syrup. These will keep, refrigerated, for up to 3 days. Reheat in the oven for 3 to 4 minutes before serving.

MEXICAN CHOCOLATE PHYLLO TRIANGLES

Steps:

• Line an 11x17-inch baking tray with parchment paper.
• Break up 4 ounces of chocolate into 1/2-ounce pieces. Set aside.
• In a food processor, finely grind the remaining chocolate with the sugar.
• Lay 8 sheets of phyllo out on top of each other. Place one sheet lengthwise on the work surface. Keep the remaining sheets covered with a damp towel.
• Brush the sheet with some melted butter. Sprinkle with 1 1/2 tablespoons of the sugar mixture.
• Place a second sheet over the sugared sheet. Butter the second sheet and sprinkle with the sugar mixture.
• Add 2 more sheets, buttering and sprinkling between each.
• Cut the phyllo horizontally into 4 even strips.
• Starting at the left side of one of the strips, place a 1/2-ounce piece of chocolate 2 inches from the end. Fold the phyllo that is to the left of the piece of chocolate over the chocolate toward the back side of the strip, making a 3-inch triangle. The left end of the phyllo should be even with the back edge.
• Fold the piece of chocolate to the right, over itself, retaining the triangular shape. Fold the chocolate piece toward the front edge of the strip. Continue wrapping the chocolate, alternating the direction with each fold, until you get to the end. (It is like folding a flag).
• Wrap the other strips in the same manner. With the remaining sheets, make 4 more chocolate-filled triangles.
• Preheat the oven to 350°F
• Place the triangles on the baking sheet. Bake until golden brown, about 10 minutes.
• Serve warm.

BOUGATSA (GREEK CREAM-FILLED PHYLLO PASTRIES)

Steps:

• Beat eggs until frothy; beat in sugar until thick and foamy, about 4 minutes. Set aside.
• Heat milk in medium pot until hot but not boiling.
• Remove from heat and whisk into egg mixture in a thin stream until all the milk mixture is used up - never stop whisking.
• Pour custard mixture back into pot and set on medium-low heat; cook, stirring constantly, about 3-4 minutes.
• Gradually sprinkle in semolina, letting it flow out of your hand in a thin stream; add a pinch of salt.
• Reduce heat to very low, cook, stirring constantly, until thick and smooth, about 5-6 minutes. Whisk in pieces of cut up butter, incorporating completely into the semolina custard.
• Remove, place a piece of plastic wrap directly on the surface of the custard and cool completely.
• When cool, stir in juice, lemon zest and vanilla.
• Preheat oven to 350°F.
• Unroll one sheet of phyllo, keeping remainder covered with dampened kitchen towel.
• Place on a work surface, with narrow end facing you.
• Brush lightly with melted butter.
• Place 3 tbsp of custard on lower 1/3 of phyllo.
• Using a thin, flexible spatula, spread custard into a wide rectangle, approximately 10x5 inches, nearly covering lower third of phyllo.
• Fold right and left sides of phyllo towards center so that edges just meet; lightly brush folded sides with butter.
• Fold lower third up and brush with butter.
• Fold upper third down and brush with butter.
• It should now look like an envelope.
• Place on a lightly buttered baking sheet and repeat envelope-making procedure 7-9 more times (depending on how many bougatsa you are making).
• Brush tops of bougatsa with any remaining butter and bake until golden-brown, about 15-18 minutes.
• Let cool 20 minutes before serving.
• Serve warm, dusted with icing sugar (you should see a coating of the icing sugar) and cinnamon.

HONEY CUSTARD

Steps:

• Heat honey and milk in double boiler.
• Beat eggs and salt until thick.
• Add hot milk to yolks and return to boiler to finish cooking.
• When mixture coats silver spoon, remove from heat.
• Add vanilla and spices if desired.
• Chill before serving.

TIROPETAKIA (SPINACH AND FETA FILLED PHYLLO TRIANGLES)

Steps:

• Drain the spinach -- squeeze out all excess liquid.
• Mix with the cheeses and add the egg, lemon peel, a little nutmeg, salt and pepper.
• Place a sheet of phyllo dough on a cutting board and brush with melted butter. With a sharp knife, cut the sheet into 5 pieces, each about 3 inches wide.
• Place a scant 1 T. filling at the bottom of each piece (don't fill it too full or the phyllo won't be able to crisp up over the filling), and roll up so as to form a triangle (think flag folding). Move one side to the other until the whole is rolled up. Contine with remaining phyllo and spinach mixture until all spinach is gone.
• Bake on a buttered cookie sheet at 400 degrees F. for about 15-20 minutes, or until lightly golden brown.