Feta Puffs Recipes

SPINACH PUFFS

Steps:

• Place racks in the upper and lower thirds of your oven and preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Bake bacon according to these directions for Baked Bacon. Let cool, then chop or crumble into bits. Spray 18 total cups in two standard muffin tins with nonstick spray.
• Meanwhile, place the cream cheese pieces in a wide microwave-safe bowl. Microwave in 10 second bursts until the cream cheese is very soft and melty but not so hot that it is steaming. Stir in 1 egg, garlic powder, black pepper, and oregano until well combined.
• In a separate large mixing bowl, combine the spinach, feta, Parmesan, and chopped bacon with a fork, breaking apart the spinach. Scrape the cream cheese mixture on top of the spinach mixture, then stir the ingredients until well combined. Taste and adjust seasoning as desired.
• Unfold the first sheet of pastry on a lightly floured surface and gently roll to remove any creases (it will be a 10- or 11-inch square). Cut the pastry sheet into 9 even squares (three squares across and three down-they will be a little more than 3 inches on each side). Line the wells of the muffin pan with the pastry squares so that the center is pressed on the bottom of the muffin cups and the corners over hang the sides (see photo in blog post above). If needed, stretch the squares to be a bit larger so that they extend all the way up the sides. With a spoon or small scoop like this one, portion the spinach filling by heaping tablespoons and place it in the center of each muffin cup, dividing it evenly among the 18 cups.
• Bring the four points of each puff pastry square together towards the center so that they cover the filling, then lightly press them together in the middle (no need for them to totally stick or seal). In a small bowl, beat the remaining egg to make an egg wash and brush it over the tops of the pastry (you will not need the whole egg).
• Bake the puffs, one muffin tin on each rack, for 21 to 24 minutes, until puffy and deeply golden, switching the pans' position on the upper and lower racks halfway through. Allow to cool for 10 minutes, then run a knife carefully around the edges to gently loosen them. Transfer to a wire rack. Serve warm or at room temperature.

SPINACH AND FETA PUFF PASTRY BITES

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
• Thaw frozen spinach in microwave according to package directions or by running under warm water. Drain spinach, squeezing the excess liquid from it. In a bowl, mix the spinach, feta, garlic, pepper, and nutmeg together.
• Flour a clean, dry countertop or other flat working surface. Lay out the puff pasty on the floured surface. Flour the top of the dough. Roll out the puff pastry until it is half as thick (about 1/8-inch) and about 24 by 12 inches. Trim edges to size if necessary. Cut into 3-inch strips crosswise and lengthwise, making 32 (3-inch) squares. Make sure the squares are well floured then stack them in a little pile.
• Fill a little dish with some room temperature water. Imagine each square you work with is separated in half by a diagonal. Place a couple teaspoons of filling in the top half. Dip a finger into the water and moisten the edges of the top half with water. Fold the bottom half to meet the edges of the top half. Use a fork to seal the edges.
• Place finished pockets on a nonstick baking sheet and bake about 15 minutes until golden brown and puffy. Serve warm.

FETA PUFFS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 425°F.
• Roll out pastry into a 14- by 10-inch rectangle (about 1/8 inch thick) on a lightly floured surface. Trim edges, preferably with a pizza wheel, and cut pastry lengthwise into 6 (1 1/2-inch-wide) strips. Chill strips on a baking sheet, covered with plastic wrap, until cold, about 10 minutes.
• Blend feta, cream, pepper, and 1 tablespoon egg in a food processor until smooth, then form into 21 balls on a work surface.
• Keeping remaining pastry covered, brush top of 1 strip with some of beaten egg. Starting 1/2 inch from one end and leaving 1/2 inch at opposite end, evenly space 7 cheese balls down center of strip. Cover with another pastry strip, pressing ends together, then press between balls of filling gently but firmly. Press pastry around each ball to seal top and bottom together and wipe away any filling that leaks out. Brush top of strip (but not sides) with some of egg and sprinkle with 1/2 tablespoon thyme. Cut between mounds of filling to form squares and arrange pastries 1 inch apart on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Make more pastries with remaining strips, filling, and thyme.
• Bake in middle of oven until puffed and golden, about 12 minutes. Serve warm.
• Note: Unbaked pastries can be frozen, wrapped well in plastic wrap, 2 weeks. Thaw in refrigerator.

FETA PUFFS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 425°F.
• Roll out pastry into a 14- by 10-inch rectangle (about 1/8 inch thick) on a lightly floured surface. Trim edges, preferably with a pizza wheel, and cut pastry lengthwise into 6 (1 1/2-inch-wide) strips. Chill strips on a baking sheet, covered with plastic wrap, until cold, about 10 minutes.
• Blend feta, cream, pepper, and 1 tablespoon egg in a food processor until smooth, then form into 21 balls on a work surface.
• Keeping remaining pastry covered, brush top of 1 strip with some of beaten egg. Starting 1/2 inch from one end and leaving 1/2 inch at opposite end, evenly space 7 cheese balls down center of strip. Cover with another pastry strip, pressing ends together, then press between balls of filling gently but firmly. Press pastry around each ball to seal top and bottom together and wipe away any filling that leaks out. Brush top of strip (but not sides) with some of egg and sprinkle with 1/2 tablespoon thyme. Cut between mounds of filling to form squares and arrange pastries 1 inch apart on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Make more pastries with remaining strips, filling, and thyme.
• Bake in middle of oven until puffed and golden, about 12 minutes. Serve warm.

SPINACH PUFFS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400°. Unfold puff pastry; cut each sheet into 12 sections. Place in greased mini muffin cups, pressing gently onto bottoms and up sides, allowing corners to point up., In a large bowl, stir together spinach, cream cheese, mozzarella, feta, 1 egg, garlic, pepper and salt. Spoon 1 tablespoon into each cup. Bring pastry corners together and pinch to seal. In a small bowl, beat remaining egg. Brush over pastry edges. Bake until puffed and golden brown, about 20 minutes.