Tyropitakia (mini cheese pies)

Tyropitakia (mini cheese pies)

INGREDIENTS

Bechamel
¾ cup (95 grams) all-purpose flour
7 tablespoons (100 grams) unsalted butter
2 cups (500 milliliters) milk
3 tablespoons heavy cream
Salt and pepper
Ground nutmeg

Filling
5 large eggs
18 ounces (500 grams) crumbled feta cheese
1 cup (250 grams) anthotyro or ricotta cheese
1¾ (250 grams) grated regato or Gruyere cheese
Salt and pepper
One 16-ounce (450-gram) package phyllo dough
Terra Creta extra-virgin olive oil

HOW TO

Melt the butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add the flour all at once and stir with a wooden spoon until all of the butter is absorbed.
Add the milk, little by little, whisking constantly. The mixture should start to thicken immediately. Once all the milk is incorporated, whisk in the cream and simmer gently for 20 minutes, whisking frequently so it won’t stick to the bottom of the pan. If you taste the sauce at the beginning of the cooking, you will notice that the flour is raw. Keep tasting throughout and remove from the heat when you can no longer taste the raw flour. Season to taste with salt, pepper, and nutmeg.
Combine the cooled béchamel with the eggs adding one at a time and beating between each addition. Add the cheeses and season to taste.
Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F)
Place two phyllo sheets on top of each other and cut them into vertical strips 5 centimeters (2 inches) wide. Place a teaspoon of filling near the bottom right corner of each narrow strip of phyllo, and brush the rest of the strip with olive oil. Fold the bottom left corner of phyllo diagonally over the filling to form a triangle shape. Continue folding the strip, alternating between left and right sides maintaining a triangle shape, until you reach the end of the piece of phyllo. Brush the outer edge with milk or water to seal.
Line two baking sheets with parchment paper and arrange the triangular cheese pies neatly in two rows.
Bake in the oven until the phyllo is golden brown, 20-30 minutes.

Adapted from Cooking with Loula

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