Everything Bagel Bourekas

Everything Bagel Bourekas (Chaya Rappoport)

These bourekas are a mix of New York Jewish and Middle Eastern Israeli food cultures. It sounds a little crazy, but it’s incredibly good: The flavorful seasoning blend, slightly sweet from the dried onion and garlic, balances out the salty, briny feta interior, and the cream and cottage cheese in the filling. A little bit of spinach, a personal must for me in cheese bourekas, adds color and flavor.

Best part? These bourekas, made with store-bought puff pastry, are relatively quick to throw together.

I plan on serving these for the Shavuot holiday, when it’s common to eat dairy foods, but they are really perfect for anytime: a Middle Eastern brunch spread with shakshuka and dips, or served at a cocktail party or as an appetizer for a dinner party. No matter when you choose to serve them, I know you will have people clamoring for seconds and thirds, as well as the recipe, so be prepared to make lots and keep this recipe on hand.

 

Everything Bagel Bourekas

Everything Bagel Bourekas

Cook Time 30 minutes
Total Time 30 minutes
Course Appetizer
Cuisine Jewish, Middle Eastern
Servings 36 bourekas

Ingredients
  

For Spinach and Feta Filling

  • 1/3 cup crumbled feta cheese
  • 1/3 cup cream cheese
  • 1/2 cup cottage cheese
  • 1 egg
  • 4 cups spinach
  • salt and pepper

For the Everything Bagel Spice Mix

  • 1 tbs. white sesame seeds
  • 2 tbs. poppy seeds
  • 1 tbs. dried minced onion
  • 1 tbs. dried minced garlic
  • 1/2 tbs. course sea salt

For Assembly

  • 1 large egg whisked for egg wash
  • 36 puff pastry squares defrosted (can also use 2 packages of puff pastry sheets cut into squares)

Instructions
 

  • Preheat oven to 350 F. In a frying pan over medium heat, wilt the spinach. Remove the spinach from frying pan, let cool down, wring out any liquid and finely chop.
  • In a mixing bowl, combine feta, cream cheese, cottage cheese, egg, chopped wilted spinach, a pinch of salt and a good shake of black pepper.
  • Use a fork to mix ingredients together until well blended. Reserve mixture.
  • Make the everything bagel spice mix by combining all the ingredients in a bowl. Reserve until needed.
  • Line 4 baking sheets with parchment paper. Place 9 puff pastry squares on each sheet, evenly spaced, giving them some room to expand during baking.
  • Place 1 scant tablespoon of the cheese filling in the center of each dough square.
  • Fold the dough squares by grasping one corner and folding it over to the opposite corner to make triangles. Pinch firmly along the outer open edge of the triangles to seal. If you’re having trouble sealing the dough and getting it to stick together, wet your finger with a bit of water and run it around the edge of the square before folding — this will help it stick together.
  • Brush the triangles with the beaten egg and the everything bagel spice mix on top.
  • Bake the bourekas for 30-35 minutes, switching the baking sheets between the upper and lower racks halfway through cooking. Bake until golden brown, puffed up and cooked through.

Notes

These bourekas freeze beautifully unbaked. Simply freeze them filled and shaped, but without the egg wash and bagel spice topping, and apply the egg wash and spice when you’re ready to bake them, adding 5-10 minutes to the baking time.
(Chaya Rappoport is the blogger, baker and picture taker behind retrolillies.wordpress.com. Currently a pastry sous chef at a Brooklyn bakery, she's been blogging since 2012 and her work has been featured on The Feed Feed, Delish.com, Food and Wine, and Conde Nast Traveler.)
The Nosher food blog offers a dazzling array of new and classic Jewish recipes and food news, from Europe to Yemen, from challah to shakshuka and beyond. Check it out at www.TheNosher.com.
You May Also Like
Gail Simmons’ Matzah Ball Soup Recipe Will Conjure Memories of Family Love
Gail Simmons' Matzah Ball Soup

For this Passover, why not try Grandma Snazzy's Soup? A comfort food powerhouse, it’s sure to nourish and invigorate you. 

Recipe: Roasted Vegetables with Balsamic and Feta Cheese
Roasted Vegetables with Balsamic and Feta Cheese

This recipe from Elite Jakob works with whatever veggies you have on hand. Make it colorful, and don’t forget the olives and feta cheese!

This Easy Balkan Vegetable Stew is Perfect for Shabbat
Balkan Vegetable Stew

Looking for a Shabbat dinner centerpiece or a hearty midweek meal? Ghiveci or guvech is a comforting, rustic dish.

Recipe: Spinach Pie
spinach pie

Who says hearty comfort food must be unhealthy? Try this delicious (and nutritious) spinach pie from local foodie Elite Jakob.