These delicious Spanakopita Triangles are fabulous as an appetiser or on-the-go snack. Super yummy crispy phyllo pastry filled with spinach, feta and lots of herbs.
200g(7oz) cream cheese / ricottaor more feta cheese
1lemonzest only
25sheets of phyllo pastrythawed if frozen (note: you might need extra!)
80ml(⅓ cup) light olive oilor as needed
2tbspsesame seedsoptional
Instructions
Make the filling
Thaw the spinach and squeeze most of the moisture out. If using fresh spinach you will need to wilt it in a pan before using and then strain to remove the juices.
Sauté the green onions and leeks in a pan with a splash of olive oil. Add the salt and herbs and cook for a couple more minutes, or until softened. Stir in the spinach and leave to cool before adding the feta and eggs.
Mix in the crumbled feta / cream cheese and have a taste, adding more salt if needed. Add the eggs and lemon zest, mix well to combine and set aside.
Assemble the pies
Preheat the oven to 180C (350F) and place a tray on the middle shelf.
Open up your pastry and use a sharp knife to cut through the phyllo vertically so you have 40 long strips . Brush one phyllo with olive oil and put a second strip of pastry on top. Doubling up the pastry will create crispy spinach hand pies and keep the filling from bursting out.
Place a tablespoon (or just over) of the filling at the end of the strip. Don’t be tempted to over fill!
Fold the end of your strip with the filling over to encase the filling and form a triangle.Continue folding the pastry, brushing sparingly with olive oil, until you have a tightly packed triangle.
Brush with oil and sprinkle with sesame seeds (optional).
Bake
Put the spanakopita triangles onto a lined baking sheet, spaced slightly apart.Bake in a preheated oven until golden brown and transfer to a wire rack to cool. Don’t stack them as the steam with soften the pastry.
Keep your phyllo covered with a very slightly damp cloth so that it doesn’t dry out while you assemble the spinach pies.
You can use fresh instead of frozen spinach if you prefer. Rinse the spinach and wild in pan before draining and using.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONSCan you freeze spanakopita triangles? Freeze the triangles on a baking sheet after assembling them but before baking. Cook directly from frozen, adding 10 minutes or more to the cooking time.Can you make them ahead of time?Store the cooked spanakopitakia (make sure they have completely cooled down first) in an airtight container in the fridge. Crisp them up in the oven before serving or eat them cold!