Everybody loves a small, savory two-bite pastry as an appetizer. I watched as my gluten-free, wheat-free, no-carb-eating friends devoured these.

While spinach and feta are frequently seen in Greek spanakopita, here they are combined with savory chermoula (available at my Amazon Affiliate Store), allspice and pine nuts and formed into rustic, open triangles for a delectable appetizer. No matter how many you make, they will all disappear. The recipe makes enough filling for 2 boxes of frozen puff pastry.

I prepare them ahead and put them (unbaked) directly into the freezer on parchment lined baking sheets. When they are frozen, I store half in an airtight container for later and leave half on the baking sheets to be baked just before the party. Of course, you can bake them all. It may depend on how many other appetizers you plan to serve or how many of these you plan to eat. I didn’t get one at my own party — but of course there is that batch in my freezer…

Oh, and just to be totally clear, these are not gluten free, wheat free or carb free. But how I wish they were!

Bake directly from freezer 30 minutes until golden brown and the dough has puffed, or store half in airtight container for later use.

Roughly chop all the spinach.

Add chopped spinach. Cook until wilted.

Remove from heat. Cool slightly. Add crumbled feta cheese.

Spoon 1 teaspoon of spinach mixture into the middle of each round.

Pull up the sides to make a pyramid by pinching the edges with your fingertips. Place on parchment-lined baking sheets.

SPINACH AND FETA PASTRIES (“BRIK”)

EVENT: Moroccan Feast

SERVES: 2 Boxes Yield Approximately 24 Pieces. Each sheet makes 12 pieces.

Ingredients

3 6-oz. bags of spinach

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 tablespoon butter

2 onions, chopped

1 teaspoon ground allspice

3 tablespoons pine nuts *

7 oz. feta cheese, crumbled *

1/2 teaspoon lemon juice

Zest of 1 lemon

Sea salt

Freshly ground pepper

1/4 teaspoon Aleppo pepper

1 1/2 teaspoon chermoula (available at my Amazon Affiliate Store)

1 box prepared frozen puff pastry (thawed)

2 tablespoons melted butter

Equipment

Parchment paper

Baking sheets

3-inch round cookie cutter

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

2. Roughly chop all the spinach.

3. In large saute pan, heat oil and butter. Add chopped onions and allspice. Cook until onions begin to soften.

4. Add the pine nuts and cook for 2 minutes, until they are golden.

5. Add chopped spinach. Cook until wilted.

6. Remove from heat. Cool slightly. Add crumbled feta cheese.

7. Taste. Season with salt, pepper, lemon juice and zest, Aleppo pepper and chermoula.

8. Roll out dough slightly. Cut out rounds using a cookie cutter.

9. Spoon 1 teaspoon of spinach mixture into the middle of each round.

10. Pull up the sides to make a pyramid by pinching the edges with your fingertips. Place on parchment-lined baking sheets.

11. Brush all sides with melted butter.

12. Place sheets in freezer for 20 minutes to chill.

13. Bake directly from freezer 30 minutes until golden brown and the dough has puffed, or store half in airtight container for later use.

* A NOTE: I buy pine nuts and feta cheese at Costco.

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