It’s probably a bit of a stretch to call these bourekas because I originally introduced them to my readers as one of our favorite savory Turkish bites. And it’s not every day you think of sweet bourekas. Truth be told, I am a savory lover at heart. But this once city girl, who now lives within minutes of farmland—driving by horses, cows, dairy farms and wild apple trees—counts her blessings and happily picks blueberries at a nearby farm.
Whether we’ll call them bourekas or not, these little pastries are fast, easy and perfectly sweet for the Jewish New Year. And as a perfect finger food for a Yom Kippur break fast, I made blueberry and apple bourekas with a sweet tahini honey glaze.
Another usual savory bite, tahini is an ingredient I use for just about everything: dressings, dips and spreads, and naturally don’t see it used as a sweet ingredient. Tahini is mixed with a bit of honey and warm water and with a bit of elbow grease, turns into a beautiful pour-able consistency.
Wishing you a wonderful and sweet New Year and an easy fast! L’shana Tovah!
Blueberry and Apple Bourekas with Honey Tahini
Yields 18 bourekas
Ingredients:
- 2 cups of chopped and peeled apples, cut into about 1/2 inch cubes
- 1/2 tsp. cinnamon
- 4 Tbsp. sugar + more sugar for sprinkling on top
- 1 tsp. vanilla extract/paste or 1 vanilla bean, scraped
- 1 cup fresh or frozen blueberries
- 1/2 lemon, juiced and zested
- 1 package (2 sheets) puff pastry, thawed
- Flour for dusting on surface
- 1 egg + water for egg wash
Tahini Glaze:
- 1/2 cup tahini
- 2 Tbsp. honey
- 1/4-1/2 cup warm water
Directions:
1. First make the filling. In a bowl, add together the cubed apples, blueberries, sugar, vanilla, cinnamon and lemon zest and juice. Toss everything together and allow to sit while you prepare the puff pastry.
2. Unfold puff pastry on a floured surface and roll out a bit so the pastry is a bit thinner.
3. Then cut pastry sheet into nine even squares (18 total for both sheets) and add about a tablespoon of filling to each square.
4. Whisk together the egg and water in a small bowl and brush the edges of each square with the egg wash and then folding the dough together making a little pouch. Use your fingers or a fork to crimp the edges and it’s OK if you stretch the dough a bit, the fruit will shrink as it bakes.
5. Brush more egg wash on top of the folded pastry and sprinkle with more sugar. Use a knife to cut little skits on the top.
6. Place bourekas on lined baking sheet and bake at 325° for 20-25 minutes, or until the filling begins to ooze out and the pastry is golden brown.
7. Once done, remove from the oven and allow to cool a bit while you make tahini glaze.
8. To make the tahini glaze, in a bowl add the tahini and honey and 1/4 cup warm water. Use a fork or whisk to whisk everything together until it is smooth and pour-able. As it sits, it will get firmer so you can add a bit more warm water and mix until desired consistency.
This recipe was reprinted with permission from The Little Ferraro Kitchen.
Author: Samantha Ferraro
