TIROPITAKIA (LITTLE CHEESE PIES)

Tiropitakia (Little Cheese Pies) image

Provided by evelynathens

Categories Cheese

Time 1h20m

Yield 48 pies

Number Of Ingredients 7

1/2 lb feta cheese
1 cup grated kefalotiri or 1 cup parmesan cheese
1/3 cup chopped parsley (chopped spearmint is also nice)
2 eggs
pepper
3/4 cup melted butter (or more)
1 lb phyllo dough (pastry sheets)

Steps:

Crumble or mash the feta cheese with a fork.
Add the grated cheese, parsley, eggs and pepper.
Cut pastry sheets in strips about 2x12 inches.
Stack them one on top of the other to prevent From drying.
Brush a strip of phyllo with melted butter, lay another strip on top and brush that one with butter too.
Put one teaspoon of the filling on the short end of the strip, facing you, and fold over one corner to make a triangle.
Continue folding pastry strip from side to side in the shape of a triangle until the entire pastry strip covers the filling. (Remember how we were taught to fold a flag into a triangular shape? Think of that as you keep folding the dough over. You should have a nice, neat, triangular packet.)
Proceed in this manner with remaining pastry strips and filling until all are used.
Put"tiropitakia" on a buttered baking sheet, brush generously with melted butter and bake in a moderate oven for 15-20 minutes or until golden brown.
Serve hot.
You can also make these ahead, put on a baking sheet and freeze, unbaked. When frozen, just keep them in a ziploc bag and you can have tiropitakia at a moment's notice. Just add 5 more minutes to the baking time if you're using frozen ones.