Do you love pastry made from Phyllo (or Filo or Fillo) but have never worked with it? Have no fear, We are here to help you! We totally get it, working with phyllo sheets can be a daunting, scary task if you have never worked with them before, but once you get the hang of it, you'll be working with them like a pro in no time. Below are some of my favorite recipes when working with phyllo and a few tips and tricks to help you along the way.
Tips To Working With Phyllo Dough:
Phyllo dough sheets are dough that are stretched paper thin and is prone to drying out quickly.
If you thaw phyllo in the refrigerator overnight, the sheets will be less prone to sticking together.
When working with phyllo dough, it is important to have it unfolded and sitting under a sheet of plastic wrap or parchment paper and then topped with a damp cloth or paper towel. Direct contact with the damp towel will cause sticking.
When brushing the melted butter over the top of the sheets, start at the edges – this will help prevent cracking, and work your way inward.
DO NOT OVER BUTTER THE SHEETS!!!
Work very diligently, but as fast as possible!
About This Week's Recipes:
Samsa – (pronounced some-sahh) Tunisian/Algerian Fried Phyllo Pastry filled with almonds, cinnamon, and orange blossom water, folded into a triangle and deep fried. After being deep fried, they are dunked in a sweet syrup.
M’hanncha – (pronounced – mAHENcha) – A Moroccan dessert that literally translates into coiled like a snake. This is where the title snake came comes from. A filling of almonds, spices, and orange blossom water is rolled into a log and then phyllo is rolled around it and then rolled up into a circle resembling a snake.
Choclava – A fun spin on a classic. This fun adaptation has pecans, chocolate, orange bourbon syrup and more chocolate!
A quick rundown of the spices used in this week's recipes:
Coriander – seeds from the cilantro plant. Lemony, earthy.
Cinnamon - dried inner bark of the cinnamon tree. Often used whole in Indian Cuisine.
Cardamom, green – very pungent, floral, earthy. Use sparingly – overpowers quickly! Usually #2, but currently #3 world’s most expensive spice.
Clove – from the French word clou (nail) – clove tree is native to the spice islands. Strong, pungent.