Kasbah pastries

Bring the tastes of Morocco home with these delicious entertaining pastries. Makes about 14 pastries.

Mar 9th 2011
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Tags: Recipes , Appetisers & Snacks, Culturally Inspired, Vegetarian

Tools: Food Processors

Ingredients

Pastry
1¾ cups (235g) self-raising flour
40g cold butter, cut into small cubes
pinch salt
75 – 100ml cold water
Filling
50g each pinenuts and hazelnuts
1 small red onion, roughly chopped
1 clove garlic
1 cup parsley leaves
6 mint leaves
1 tbs olive oil
250g frozen spinach, thawed and squeezed to remove excess liquid
¼ tsp each cinnamon and nutmeg
½ tsp sumac
juice and finely grated rind of 1 small lemon
freshly ground salt and black pepper
40g fetta, finely crumbled
1 egg yolk mixed with 2 tsp milk
2 tsp sumac mixed with 1 tsp freshly ground black pepper

Method

Fit the food processor with the work bowl and multipurpose blade. Add the flour, butter and salt to the bowl. Select speed 1 and process until butter is thoroughly chopped into the flour. Add the water and process until the mixture forms a dough. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate a minimum of 30 minutes.
Preheat the oven to 200C (180C fan forced). Line a baking tray with baking paper. Toast the pinenuts and hazelnuts for 5 minutes and set aside to cool.
Fit the food processor with the mini bowl and mini blade. Add the onion and garlic and pulse until chopped. Remove from the bowl. Add the herbs and roasted nuts and pulse 6 seconds or until chopped, set aside separately.
Heat the oil in a frying pan, cook the onion mixture for 3-4 minutes or until softened and lightly golden. Add the spinach, spices, lemon rind and juice and season well with the salt and pepper. Stir fetta and mix well. Set aside and allow to cool.
Roll out the pastry on a lightly floured bench to about 2 ½ mm thickness. Cut dough into small circles using an 8 cm cutter. Gently roll each circle separately just a little more to about 8 ½ cm circle. Place about rounded 1 rounded tablespoon of the filling into the centre of the circle, fold the pastry over and seal the edges to form half circles. Repeat with the remaining pastry and filling.
Place the pastries onto the prepared tray and brush lightly with the egg mixture. Sprinkle over the sumac mix and a little extra salt and pepper and bake on the centre shelf of the oven for about 15 minutes or until golden and lightly crisp. Pastries can be turned over half way through the cooking for an even brownness.

Tips

* The pastry can be made up to 1 day in advance.

* Sumac is a Middle Eastern spice available from the spice isle of the supermarket.

* Cooked and cooled pastries freeze well and can be reheated in an 180C oven (160C fan forced) for about 15 minutes. Bake on the centre shelf of the oven for 20 minutes or until cooked and lightly charred. Squeeze over the lemon juice. Serve immediately with the Garlic Aioli.

For the Garlic Aioli
Fit the mini bowl and mini blade to the food processor. Place egg yolks, garlic, lemon rind about 1 tablespoon of the vinegar into the bowl and process for 10 seconds. With the motor running add the oils in a very slow stream through the narrow feed tube until the mayonnaise has thickened. Add the remaining vinegar until the desired thickness is reached. Season to taste.