These tiny parcels, for which recipes date back to the Ottoman Empire, are stuffed with a thick, creamy filling based on milk and enriched with mascarpone cheese. The original recipe uses Turkish cheese — kaymak — which is a little harder to come find.
Make the syrup: place all ingredients in a small saucepan and bring to a boil over medium heat. Reduce the heat slightly and simmer for 5 minutes. Remove from heat and allow to cool.
Make the filling: place all ingredients in a pan over medium heat and bring to a boil, whisking constantly. Lower the heat and continue whisking until the filling thickens. Remove from heat, add the mascarpone and whisk to combine. Allow to cool completely before assembling the pastry.
Heat oven to 180°C and line a large oven tray with baking parchment.
Assemble the pastry: brush a filo sheet with melted butter, or, if you prefer, take the easier option of spraying with butter-flavoured cooking spray — your secret is safe with me. Keep remaining filo covered to prevent drying. Place another sheet on top of the first one, brush/spray again and then add a third sheet. Cut the sheet lengthwise into 5 long strips each one about 7cm wide.
Place 1 tablespoon of the milk mixture on the lower right hand corner of each strip. Then fold that corner up to the left to form a triangle. Fold the triangle up onto the dough, then fold the bottom left had corner up and to the right to keep the triangle shape. Continue folding, in that pattern until you come to the end of each strip. Spray/brush again, making sure all edges are sprayed and sealed. Repeat with remaining filo and filling.
Bake for 15-20 minutes until the pastry parcels are golden brown.
As soon as you remove them from the oven immediately pour the syrup over the pastries. You will not need the whole quantity of syrup — don’t soak them, just coat them.
Garnish with chopped pistachios. Eat hot or at room temperature.
