Savory Cheese-filled Hamantaschen

Photo & Styling: Yehuda Salomon
Yield: 16
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Level: Easy

Ingredients:

• 1 package Maadanot Frozen Rolled Turkish Phyllo Dough for Sweet & Savory Pastries
• 3.5 ounces Tnuva Goat Cheese
• 3.5 ounces Tnuva Light Feta Cheese
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves
• 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
• 1/2 teaspoon honey
• 1/2 teaspoon black sesame seeds
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• Salt to taste
• 1 egg, separated
• Black sesame seeds for sprinkling

Instructions

1. Thaw the dough overnight in the fridge. Line a large baking pan with parchment paper. Preheat oven to 350ºF.
2. Crumble the cheeses and put in a bowl. Add the olive oil, thyme, mustard, honey, 1/2 teaspoon black sesame seeds, salt and 1 tablespoon of egg white. Mix well.
3. Unroll the dough and cut out 16 circles, about 4 inches in diameter each. Place a heaping spoonful of filling in the center of each circle. Brush the edges of each circle with beaten egg white and then fold into the shape of a hamantaschen, so that you have three corners and a space in the middle. Pinch the edges well.
4. Beat the egg yolk with a fork, and add a tablespoon of water and a pinch of salt. Brush this mixture onto the hamantaschen and sprinkle some black sesame seeds on top. Bake for 25-30 minutes, or until the dough is golden brown. Let cool and serve.

Tip: Use up the leftover dough to make cookies. Simply place all the pieces side by side, and flatten with a rolling pin so that you have one rectangle of dough. Fill with desired filling (sugar+cinnamon+ground nuts or simply chocolate spread), roll up, and then slice. Place the cookies on a baking sheet and bake until nicely browned.