Recipe: Feta Cheese and Fresh Chive Phyllo Kisses (freeze ahead)

FETA CHEESE AND FRESH CHIVE PHYLLO KISSES

 "These delectable, flavor-packed cheese morsels freeze beautifully for do-ahead entertaining."

6 ounces feta cheese, crumbled
4 ounces cream cheese at room temperature
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
3 tablespoons snipped fresh chives
1/8 teaspoon ground or freshly grated nutmeg
Freshly ground pepper to taste
24 sheets phyllo dough
1 cup (2 sticks) butter, melted

In a medium bowl, stir the Feta, cream cheese, Parmesan, chives, and nutmeg together until smooth. Season with ground pepper and refrigerate the mixture until firm enough to handle. 

Scoop the mixture by heaping teaspoons and roll into balls. Refrigerate the cheese calls until ready to use.

Cut 1 sheet of phyllo in half, crosswise, into two 8 3/4-by-12-inch pieces. Butter half of one of the pieces and place a cheese ball in the middle of the buttered half. Fold the unbuttered half over the cheese and carefully press the phyllo around the filling (as you would for ravioli). 

Butter the top and pull the 4 corners of the phyllo up around the cheese filling to form a small "kiss"-shaped pouch. Repeat this process with each of the remaining phyllo sheets.

Place the phyllo kisses on a baking sheet and press them gently onto the pan to flatten the bottoms of the pouches. (This will help the kisses hold their shape as they bake.) Because this particular pastry bakes and retains its shape better if it is frozen, freeze the pastries before you bake them. They should be frozen for at least 1 hour, and may be frozen for up to a month before baking.

WHEN READY TO BAKE:
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. 

Bake the frozen pastries for 10 to 12 minutes, or until they are golden brown and crisp. If the tops of the pastries brown too quickly, cover them loosely With a piece aluminum foil and continue baking until done. 

Serve the kisses warm.

Makes 48 kisses
Source: Phyllo by Jill O'Connor

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