Cheese Sambusak Recipes

CHEESE SAMBOUSEK

Steps:

• First make the dough:.
• Combine the flour, salt, baking powder, and sugar in a food processor fitted with the metal blade and process for 5 seconds.
• Add the butter and pulse 10 times, or until the mixture is the consistency of fine meal.
• With the machine running, add the water in a steady stream, taking about 10 seconds to do so.
• Process for 1 minute. The dough will gather into a ball and form a mass that whirls around the blade. Feel the dough. It should be smooth, soft, elastic, and no longer sticky.
• If necessary, adjust the texture with droplets of water or small amounts of flour, processing a few seconds after each addition. If you want to add seeds to the dough, knead them in by hand on your work surface.
• Divide the dough into 24 pieces and shape into balls (3/4 ounce each).
• Cover the balls of dough loosely with a kitchen towel and let stand for 30 minutes.
• Next, the filling:.
• Place the cheese, salt, cayenne, egg, and egg white in the work bowl of a food processor fitted with the metal blade and pulse very rapidly 20 to 30 times, until the mixture just begins to gather into a mass.
• Turn out onto a sheet of waxed paper or plastic wrap and pat into a 6 x 4-inch rectangle.
• Cut the cheese mixture into 1-inch squares.
• Adjust two oven racks to divide the oven into thirds and preheat the oven to 350°F
• Line two 14 x 17-inch baking sheets with silicone baking pan liners or cooking parchment.
• To shape the sambouseks, pat a ball of dough into a 4-inch circle on your unfloured work surface.
• Place a square of the cheese mixture slightly below the center of the circle and pat it into a semicircular shape, leaving a bottom border of dough a scant 1/2 inch wide.
• Fold the top half of the dough over the cheese and press the edges firmly to seal.
• Use a fingertip to crimp the edge of the dough back on itself, forming a fluted border.
• Place the sambousek on the prepared sheet.
• Repeat with the remaining dough and cheese, placing 12 sambouseks about 2 inches apart on each sheet.
• Paint the sambouseks with the egg wash.
• Bake 30 minutes, or until golden brown.
• Rotate the pans top to bottom and front to back once during baking to ensure even browning. Use a wide metal spatula to transfer the sambouseks to wire cooling racks, and serve warm or at room temperature.

CHEESE SAMBUSAK FROM INDIA

Steps:

• Mix first 4 ingredients together.
• Cut in the butter and mix with your fingers or a pastry cutter until it resembles coarse meal.
• Add the water a little at a time until you have a moist, workable dough. Knead for 2 minutes. Wrap dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.
• Blend the cheeses, the egg and the pepper in a food processor until blended but not to the cosistency of a smooth paste. You want more of a chunky paste. Put in bowl and refrigerate 1 hour.
• Divide the dough into walnut size pieces. You should get about 20. Roll each one into a round ball and then roll out into a 4 inch pancake shape.
• Place 1 heaping tsp of the cheese filling on the bottom half of the circle. Moisten the edge of the bottom half and fold the top half over onto it, to form a half-moon shape. Press the edges firmly with the tine of a fork.
• Place the turnovers on an ungreased cookie sheet and bake in a 375 degree oven for 30 minute or until light brown.
• Serve warm or at room temperature.

SAMBUSAKS (CHEESE-FILLED PASTRIES)

Steps:

• For the Pastry.
• Combine butter, oil, and salt in a bowl.
• Add 1/2 cup hot water and stir.
• Gradually add 2 cups flour.
• Turn dough onto a floured surface and work in remaining flour.
• Knead until dough holds together; it will be soft.
• Form into a ball, wrap in plastic, and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
• For the Filling.
• Place feta, parmigiano-reggiano, eggs, baking powder, and pepper in a food processor and pulse until light and creamy.
• For the Turnovers.
• Preheat oven to 375°.
• Divide dough into 20 balls.
• On a floured surface, roll each ball into a round about 4'' in diameter.
• Place a heaping tablespoons of filling in center of each round.
• Brush edges with water, fold to enclose filling, then press edges with a fork to seal(Assembled sambusaks may be frozen.)
• Place sambusaks on 2 lightly greased cookie sheets, then brush with egg wash.
• Bake until golden, 30-35 minutes.