Mini caș pastries

Name: Mini caș pastries
Ingredients: 800 g puff pastry; 300 g fresh sheep’s cheese (caș); 2 spring onions; 15 g dill; 2 eggs; 1/2 teaspoon salt

Appetizers - Mini caș pastries by Zoe I. - Recipia

Mini caș pastries are rounds of puff pastry filled with fresh sheep’s cheese (caș), spring onions and dill, gathered into rose shapes. In the oven, the petals puff up and turn golden, while the filling stays soft in the center; they’re easy to eat by hand. I check how salty the caș is before adjusting the salt. Preparation: 30 minutes. Cooking: 20 minutes. Total time: 50 minutes. Servings: 8. Approximately 690 kcal and 16 g protein per serving.

Ingredients

800 g puff pastry
300 g fresh sheep’s cheese (caș)
2 spring onions
15 g dill
2 eggs
1/2 teaspoon salt

Preparation

1. Finely chop the spring onions and dill. Grate the sheep’s caș on the small holes of a grater. 2. Beat one egg and mix it with the spring onions, dill and caș. Add the salt and mix until combined. 3. Roll out the puff pastry with a rolling pin and cut out rounds with a glass. 4. Cut each round into petals, without cutting through the center. Put filling in the middle and gather the petals around it to form roses. 5. Place the pastries on a baking tray lined with parchment paper. Beat the second egg and brush each rose with it. 6. Bake in a preheated oven at 200°C for 20 minutes, until golden.

Notes

Firm caș is easy to grate and leaves less liquid in the filling; if it’s moist, leave it to drain for a few minutes before mixing it in. Taste the caș before adding salt: salty cheese needs less, while bland cheese can take the measured amount listed. Puff pastry is easier to roll out when cold, but not hard; if it softens and sticks to the counter, put it in the fridge for a few minutes. Keep the pastry sheet an even thickness so the petals bake at the same rate. Larger rounds may need a little more time, while smaller ones brown faster, so watch the color of the edges toward the end. The baked pastries keep in a closed container in the fridge for up to 3 days. I serve them with a simple green salad. You can use 300 g cow’s caș instead of sheep’s; the difference is most noticeable in how salty the filling is. Puff pastry contains gluten, and the caș and eggs contain dairy and eggs.