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Lebanese Cheese Parcels

Lebanese Cheese Parcels

Ingredients

Makes 8-9

500g rough puff or puff pastry
Extra flour, to dust
1 egg
Salt

For the filling:
100g full-fat cottage cheese
100g feta
100g mozzarella
1 lemon
Small handful of dill or flat-leaf parsley sprigs
Freshly ground black pepper

Instructions

  1. To make the filling, put the cottage cheese in a sieve set over a bowl, to drain. Discard the liquid and put the cheese in a bowl. Crumble in the feta and chop and add the mozzarella. Mash all the cheeses together with the back of a fork.
  2. Finely grate enough lemon zest to give ½ tsp and add to the cheeses. Roughly chop enough dill or parsley leaves to give ½–1 tbsp and add to the mixture with a good grinding of pepper. Adjust the seasoning, herbs and lemon zest to taste.
  3. Roll out the chilled pastry on a lightly floured surface to a 3mm thickness. Using a 10cm plain or fluted pastry cutter, cut out 8 or 9 circles. Divide the filling between the circles, placing it on one half of the circle and leaving a border around the edge.
  4. Using a fork, lightly beat the egg with a pinch of salt, then pass through a sieve. Brush a little beaten egg around the edge of each pastry circle. Fold each circle in half, encasing the filling, seal carefully to make half-moon shaped parcels and brush with a little more of the beaten egg to glaze. Transfer to a baking sheet and chill until firm. Meanwhile, heat the oven to 200°C/gas mark 6.
  5. Glaze the parcels again and bake in the oven until puffed up and lightly golden. Delicious served with a leafy salad and a caramelised onion marmalade.