Phyllo recipes can be sweet or savory. Traditional Turkish and Greek fillings include nuts and dried fruits, cheeses, vegetable mixtures and savory chopped meats. Experiment with the phyllo pastry shapes making them into a packet, purse or dumpling.

Make absolutely certain that your filling is fully prepared and completely cooled (even chilled) before introducing to the phyllo sheets. The phyllo should also be slightly chilled and the filling recipe not having much moisture as the dough has little fat, and the moisture can make it soggy. A filling that is even slightly warm will wilt the pastry and make breaking and tearing more likely to happen.

To seal fillings inside, lightly brush with egg wash (1 egg beaten with 1 - 2 tablespoons water) in between the sheets just on the edges. You can then twist or fold the ends. The wash will seal the ends during baking. Sprinkles or dustings of ingredients can also be put in between the layers for a different effect. Some examples of these are: sugar or confectioner's sugar, chopped nuts, toasted coconut, bread crumbs, ground almonds or fruit compotes.

Savory Fillings

Burger and feta - cook the burger meat with onions and garlic. Add salt and pepper to taste after draining the fat from the cooked meat. Pat the meat dry and season. Add the burger to the phyllo and then, add a few crumbles of feta cheese. Then, seal with egg wash. Try adding a dusting of almonds or pecans between the phyllo layers. Then, bake! Delicious served with a honey/almond/cayenne drizzle or dipping sauce.

Ham and cheese - dice ham fine - be sure the ham is drained and patted dry. Add a few crumbles or shreds of cheddar or Monterrey jack cheese. Seal edges with egg wash and bake.

Chicken and apple with bleu cheese - Chop cooked and cooled chicken breast into small chunks. Add dried apple slices. Top with a few crumbles of bleu cheese. Then, seal edges with egg wash and bake. Again, this one is great with dustings of pecans or almonds between the phyllo layers.

Sweet Fillings

Apple Cinnamon - Layer the phyllo with butter and confectioners sugar. The main filling should consist of dehydrated apple slices and a sugar/cinnamon (equal parts) mix. Seal edges with egg wash and bake.

Honey Nuts and Fruits - Layer the phyllo with a honey-water-butter glaze between each layer. The main filling consists of tiny chips of almonds, pecans or walnuts and small chopped pieces of dried dates, raisins and dried mango or apple pieces. Seal edges with egg wash and bake.

Chocolate - Layer the phyllo with melted chocolate cut thin with butter. For the main filling use a few small chunks or slivers of chocolate and a tiny dollop of chipotle. Seal edges with egg wash and bake. This makes for a sweet and slightly spicy delight!

Let your imagination take you into creating new and exciting fillings for your phyllo pastries. Please send me your recipes so that I can see how you have experimented with this versatile and exquisite pastry dough.