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Cheese Phyllo Pie with Buttery Sauce

by Feli Chic'Cuisine

Cheese-filled Phyllo Pies, or Turkish Tray Börek with Cheese, is a mouthwatering and versatile dish that beautifully blends sweet and savory elements. This dish is a favorite in Turkish cuisine and beyond, and it's surprisingly simple to make.
Photo @ Feli Chic'Cuisine

The Cheese Phyllo Pie is a culinary gem that tantalizes the taste buds with its delightful blend of contrasting flavors. Picture this: flaky layers of phyllo pastry cradle a luxurious filling, combining the sweetness of a savory cheese mixture with a heavenly buttery sauce that elevates every bite.


But what sets this indulgent treat apart? The special buttery sauce makes the cheese tart wonderfully creamy and smooth. It keeps everything together, so the filling stays nice and moist. It gives the tart a rich and decadent texture that makes every bite a delight!


When you bite into this Cheese Phyllo Pie, it's a delightful journey of textures and flavors. The pastry is crispy, giving way to a creamy, sweet and savory cheese filling that blends perfectly with the smooth buttery sauce. As you savor each bite, you'll notice a hint of vanilla and a zesty touch of lemon that add a refreshing twist, making it so tempting you'll want to take another bite right away!

Cheese-filled Phyllo Pies, or Turkish Tray Börek with Cheese, is a mouthwatering and versatile dish that beautifully blends sweet and savory elements. This dish is a favorite in Turkish cuisine and beyond, and it's surprisingly simple to make.
Photo @ Feli Chic'Cuisine

What are the necessary components for this recipe?

Phyllo Dough: You'll need one pack of thin phylo pie sheets, typically containing around 12 sheets. Philo dough is a delicate and flaky pastry that forms the crispy layers of the pie.


Filling: The filling is a sweet and creamy mixture made of sweet or salty cheese, which provides a delightful contrast to the flaky phyllo layers. This mixture is sweetened with sugar, and you can enhance its flavor with a pinch of salt ( if not salty cheese) and a teaspoon of vanilla extract.


Binding Ingredients: To create the right consistency for the filling, you'll use eggs, milk, carbonated mineral water. These ingredients ensure the cheese filling is rich and creamy.


Butter: For added richness and a golden-brown finish, a sauce from butter is pour over the pie before baking.


Additional Flavors: The recipe is given a hint of citrusy freshness with the grated peel from 1 lemon. Optionally, you can include candied orange peel for extra citrus notes.


Sweet and Tart: Raisins or cranberries are included (optional), providing a delightful sweet and tart contrast to the creamy cheese filling.


Cheese-filled Phyllo Pies, or Turkish Tray Börek with Cheese, is a mouthwatering and versatile dish that beautifully blends sweet and savory elements. This dish is a favorite in Turkish cuisine and beyond, and it's surprisingly simple to make.
Photo @ Feli Chic'Cuisine

A delightful and simply recipe

The recipe starts with the assembly of the layers of phyllo pastry, which are known for their crispiness when baked. The salty Feta cheese, sugar, eggs, and aromatic vanilla extract or vanilla sugar come together to create a luscious, creamy cheese filling. The use of carbonated mineral water in the batter contributes to the dough's light and airy texture, ensuring that your pie turns out delightfully fluffy and delicate.

As the pies bake, the buttery layers of phyllo become golden brown and crunchy, while the cheese filling transforms into a creamy, slightly tangy interior with citrus accents from the lemon zest. Optionally, candied orange peel can be added for extra zest and a burst of citrusy aroma.

This recipe is offering a satisfying combination of flavors and textures that can be enjoyed as a snack, appetizer, or even a dessert. Whether served at family gatherings or enjoyed as a special treat, Cheese Phyllo Pie will undoubtedly please your taste buds with their savory and sweet symphony of flavors.

 

Prepare the cheese filling

Cheese-filled Phyllo Pies, or Turkish Tray Börek with Cheese, is a mouthwatering and versatile dish that beautifully blends sweet and savory elements. This dish is a favorite in Turkish cuisine and beyond, and it's surprisingly simple to make.
@Feli Chic'Cuisine

Prepare the butter sauce

Cheese-filled Phyllo Pies, or Turkish Tray Börek with Cheese, is a mouthwatering and versatile dish that beautifully blends sweet and savory elements. This dish is a favorite in Turkish cuisine and beyond, and it's surprisingly simple to make.
@Feli Chic'Cuisine

Assembling the Phyllo Pies

Cheese-filled Phyllo Pies, or Turkish Tray Börek with Cheese, is a mouthwatering and versatile dish that beautifully blends sweet and savory elements. This dish is a favorite in Turkish cuisine and beyond, and it's surprisingly simple to make.
@Feli Chic'Cuisine

 

Prep. Time: 20 min

Cooking time: 35min

Serves: 8

 

Ingredients
  • 1 pack Filo Pastry sheets (12 sheets)

  • 700 g Feta cheese or cottage cheese

  • 100 g sugar

  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract or 2 sachets vanilla sugar

  • 1 lemon, zest

  • 100 g raisins or cranberries (optional)

  • Candied orange peel (optional)


For the Butter-Milk Sauce:

  • 100 g butter

  • 5 eggs

  • 4 tablespoons sugar

  • 250 ml milk

  • 200 ml carbonated mineral water

  • 1 sachets vanilla sugar


 

Method

Preparing the Filling:

1. In a mixing bowl, combine Feta cheese (sweet cottage chee and salt), sugar, eggs, vanilla extract, raisins or cranberries (optional), and lemon zest. Mix well until all ingredients are thoroughly combined. Set aside.


Assembling the Phyllo Pies:

2. Preheat your oven to 180°C (356°F).


3. Place a single sheet of phyllo dough on a clean surface. Spread 1-2 generous tablespoon of the cheese filling in the middle, along of the sheet. Fold it lengthwise, creating a neat package, and arrange it in the prepared tray. Continue this process with the remaining phyllo sheets until you've used up all the filling, ensuring each folded package fits snugly in the tray.


Making the Butter-Milk Sauce:

4. In a saucepan, melt the, butter over low heat. In a bowl, beat the eggs with sugar, mix into the melted butter, milk and carbonated mineral water. Stir in the vanilla sugar.


5. Pour the prepared butter-milk sauce evenly over the pie, ensuring it seeps into all the cuts and layers.


6. Bake in the preheated oven for approximately 30-35 minutes, or until the phyllo pies turn golden brown and the filling is set. Remove from the oven and let it cool for a few minutes.


Serving:

These Cheese-Filled Phyllo Pies with Butter-Milk Sauce can be served warm or at room temperature. The sauce adds an extra layer of richness and flavor to the already delicious combination of sweet cheese filling and flaky phyllo pastry.

Enjoy!


Cheese-filled Phyllo Pies, or Turkish Tray Börek with Cheese, is a mouthwatering and versatile dish that beautifully blends sweet and savory elements. This dish is a favorite in Turkish cuisine and beyond, and it's surprisingly simple to make.
Photo @ Feli Chic'Cuisine
 
“Food, like a loving touch or a glimpse of divine power, has that ability to comfort​"― Norman Kolpa​​
 

*All Photographs on Feli Chic'Cuisine, signed Feli Chic'Cuisine are copyrighted.

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