I adore baklava and find them terribly addictive, never being able to stop at a sensible number! Unfortunately for me, when it comes to dessert, my kids are truly English, like my husband – they’re not that much into “exotic” ones! That of course means that it only makes an appearance at parties, Not so true anymore! My 2 older kids love baklava. Serve warm or at room temperature.I suppose the most well known Middle Eastern pastry. It's worth transferring to a cooling rack soon after removing from the oven to avoid the base becoming soft. Bake for around 12 - 15 minutes until lightly golden on the outside.If you like, you can brush the outside of the fatayer with a little olive oil or egg wash before baking, but you can also leave them as they are. Repeat with the remaining pieces of dough and filling.Carefully transfer to a lightly-oiled baking sheet (photo shows lined with silicone mat but oiled is better to be crisper on the bottom). Try to avoid having too much air inside the dough but also make sure it is not over-filled. Then, take the remaining part of dough and bring it into the middle, pinch together, then join up both sides to form a triangular shape. Pinch together two sides of the dough over the filling so that you form a point on one side (see pictures).Place some of the spinach filling (around 2 tablespoons) in the middle of the flattened dough. Add the lemon juice into the filling mixture right before using and stir through. Take one piece of the dough and either roll out with a rolling pin or use your hands to flatten it out into a circle, around 6 - 7 inches in diameter.Divide the dough into 8 pieces and roll each into a ball, folding the dough back on itself to make it smooth on top. Once the dough has risen, knock it back and remove it from the bowl.Add pine nuts (if using) and mix everything well, then set aside. Add in the salt, pepper, sumac, Lebanese seven spice (if using), and pomegranate molasses. Finely chop the onion and add it to the drained spinach.If using frozen spinach, you can skip the salt and just squeeze the thawed spinach really well.

Then, squeeze the spinach really well to remove the liquid - you can do this by hand but using a clean cloth or cheesecloth works well to help. If using fresh spinach, roughly chop the leaves and place in a colander, sprinkling a little salt over the leaves as you go and leave to sit 10 minutes. Leave in a warm room temperature place for around 2 hours until the dough has doubled in size. Lightly oil a clean bowl, place the ball of dough in it and cover with cling wrap or a damp tea towel.You can also mix the ingredients and knead in a stand mixer (knead for around 2 - 3 minutes). Transfer the dough to a lightly floured surface and knead for around 3 - 5 minutes until any stickiness has gone and it is smooth.It should come together as a ball but also not be wet. If it is still dry and some of the flour is not incorporated, add a little more water. You will probably need a little more water, so add more gradually, as needed. Add the oil and 1/3 cup water and mix into a smooth dough.

Place the flour, yeast, salt and sugar in a bowl and mix together.They are also common as part of many Easter meals. These spinach pies are additionally versatile in that they are vegan so they are popular as one of the foods to eat during Lent. You may find them served with dips like hummusand baba ghanoush, other pastries, salads, and kibbeh. Spinach fatayer can be enjoyed as a snack, for breakfast, or with other dishes as part of a spread of mezze.

You will sometimes see a little Lebanese seven spice added for additional flavor and/or sugar or honey to balance out the tartness. Here, it adds a lovely brightness to the filling.īeyond that, you might add a little pomegranate molasses, lemon juice, and/or some pine nuts for additional texture. If you are not familiar with sumac, it is a popular Middle Eastern spice with a tart lemon-like flavor. The main ingredients are spinach, onion, and sumac. They can also be different shapes, though this spinach version is nearly always found shaped in little triangles as you see here.Įach type has a relatively simple filling and these spinach ones are no exception. Fatayer come in a few different variations, with meat, spinach, and cheese being three popular types.

Middle eastern pastries