Appetizers Part 2: The Stuffing

So sorry this has taken so long to post but better late than never, I always say. So here it goes:

After you have all your fillings done, you are ready to stuff. I find the triangle shape works best to keep the stuffings inside as they bake but you can try whatever shape you want. Just make sure you get a bunch of layers of the phyllo pastry as that's what makes it flaky and delicious.

1. Melt some butter and gently brush it on the first layer of phyllo dough. *Note: Keep the unused pastry laid out on the counter with a damp dish towel over top. The dough is very thin and delicate and it will dry out if you don't do this.

2. Next, cut the phyllo in half and then in half again to make 4 long strips. Again, be very gentle with this so you don't tear the pastry. If you do tear it though, remember it's going to be layered so any small imperfections can be easily hidden.

3. Place about a teaspoon of the filling at the bottom of the strips of pastry.

*These were the mushroom ones so I had a small slice of brie cheese in with the filling. 

4. Fold over and over in a triangle until you get to the top. (It's kind of morbid but my dad said it's like how they fold the flag at a military funeral. And my dad's a funeral director so he would know, haha!)

5. Use a little more melted butter to seal at the end and brush the top as well. 

6. Then, place on a large baking sheet to be frozen. After they're frozen, you can move them to a tray or a zip-loc bag so they don't take up as much room in your freezer. 

Next, I tried making some puff pastry appetizers with my blackberry and goat cheese filling. It turned out more "desserty" and I ran out of phyllo so here are some photos of what I did with the puff pastry.

These are little pinwheels (like a jelly roll) with the blackberry on top. They're very cute but I did notice that when I put them in the oven, the dough under the blackberry didn't cook very well. I think when I make these as a dessert, I'll remove the blackberry before baking and then put it back when they're done. I think I'll sprinkle a little powdered sugar on top as well.

This is the cooked blackberry pinwheel. It was really yummy! And a perfect dessert for people who maybe aren't super into sweets as the goat cheese adds a savoury element as well.

And here are the cooked phyllo pastry appetizers. Yes, they were as delicious as they look! (I still have some left too!)