Name: Israeli Everything Bagel Cheese Borekas
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 60 min
Ingredients: 2 sheets puff pastry; 1 cup crumbled feta cheese; 1 ½ cup shredded mozzarella cheese; 1/4 teaspoon salt; 1 large egg (beaten); 1 egg yolk; 2 teaspoons milk; 1 teaspoon sesame seeds; 1 teaspoon poppy seeds; ½ teaspoon dried onion flakes; ½ teaspoons dried garlic flakes

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Who says everything bagel seasoning is just for bagels? Sprinkle it on these Israeli cheese borekas, and watch the pastries disappear! Bring them to parties, picnics, weekly practices and games, or serve them for breakfast or brunch on Mother's Day. Father's Day too!

What are Borekas?

Borekas, boreki, börek, Burke, or bourekas are savory and delicious hand pies that are popular across the Mediterranean and the Middle East.

Fillings can vary but borekas stuffed with cheese and topped with homemade everything bagel seasoning is Israeli's favorite pastime food.

The boreka dough is traditionally made from scratch, but puff pastry is a convenient substitute that simplifies the process. And who doesn't like simple recipes? For lower carb version use fillo pastry.

Like with many foods of Mediterranean, we can thank Turkey and their Ottoman Empire for these pastries.

The Ottomans, among other things, served to bring variety, freshness, color, and refinement to Mediterraneanean cuisine, which has been exported throughout the world.

It is truly a celebration of the blending of peoples, ideas, and flavors, all subtly woven together in a savory tapestry, a delight for the eyes and a feast for the mouth.

Ingredients:

For borekas, you will need these simple ingredients (everything bagel seasoning is optional):

Puff pastry
Feta and Mozarella cheese
Egg
Milk

Puff pastry filled with cheeses and sprinkled with everything bagel seasoning make this delicious Israeli #borekas a perfect #snack or party food. #vegetarian #partyfood #appetizer

What is in everything bagel seasoning?

Sesame seeds
Poppy seeds
Dry onion flakes
Dry garlic flakes

How to make Israeli Everything Bagel Cheese Borekas:

*Keep scrolling to get the full (printable) recipe and ingredient amounts, or click on the “Skip to Recipe” button at the top of the page.

Make the filling: In a mixing bowl, combine feta, mozzarella, egg, and salt until well blended. Make sure to break up any large crumbles of feta with the fork.
Prep the pastry: On a lightly floured surface, unfold puff pastry sheets. With a rolling pin, roll out each sheet to a 12x12-inch square. Cut it into thirds lengthwise and crosswise to get 9 4-inch squares, for a total of 18 squares. Brush edges of each square lightly with water.
Fill the pastry: Place one heaping tablespoon of cheese filling into the center of each square and fold the dough over the filling in half diagonally to form triangular pastries. Firmly pinch the edges together to seal. Brush the tops of the borekas with egg wash and sprinkle with everything bagel seasoning.
Bake: Bake for 30 minutes, or until the pastries are puffed and deeply golden, and the filling is cooked through.

Recipe notes:

Substitute mozzarella with kashkaval or provolone cheese.
You can use fillo dough instead of puff pastry for fewer carbs.
Substitute homemade everything bagel seasoning with store-bought.

This recipe is adapted from the An Oddysey of Food, My Journey Back to Israel book. Shaya makes the dough from scratch and talks with the great sentiment about baking these with his grandma.

I made a few changes to simplify it but the taste is still deliciously the same.

Food is the ingredient that bonds us together. Borekas are easy to make with your kids or grandkids. Try new foods and build delicious memories. For inspiration, check out this Taste the Globe interactive map.

ESSENTIALS

for Everything Bagel Cheese Borekas

Other delicious pastry recipes to try: