I look forward to the winter holidays quite a bit. Here in Michigan it gets quite cold and the snow starts piling up into a spectacular winter wonderland. My favorite thing is waking up and peak out the window to see the freshly laid blanket of sparkling snow. Of course I do not enjoy the actual getting out of bed part but I digress.
Holiday baking goes into full swing in my kitchen. The cold weather makes me want to stay inside and warm the house with delicious smells. Baking for me is just one way I express my love for everyone I care about, especially during the holidays. We have a lot of family gatherings from small to large to attend and then a few parties with friends. Bringing something that I have made at home makes it feel more special.
This recipe that I am about to share is a family favorite. We are mostly of dutch origin and from what I understand this recipe is dutch all the way. My mom used to make it all the time and she taught it to me. A full batch never lasts long so if you have a large crowd you may wish to double it. Using good butter is key because that’s where a lot of the flavor comes from. I have almost always relied on Land O’ Lakes (available at Walmart) sweet cream salted butter sticks to bake with. Land O’ Lakes wraps their butter sticks in flavor protect wrappers that keep the butter tasting like butter and not the inside of the fridge. Flavor is very important when baking delicate baked goods.
My recipe for these buttery holiday cheese triangles freezes well. Just bake from frozen but add a couple minutes to the clock. If you plan on taking them with you to a holiday gathering just be sure to ask your hosts to have the oven hot and ready.
Ingredients you will need:
-1 stick Land O’ Lakes sweet cream salted butter
-16 oz Muenster cheese shredded
-2 large eggs
-1/2 a large onion minced (I prefer yellow but used sweet this time)
-8 oz softened cream cheese
-1 tsp black pepper (I prefer mine fresh cracked)
-1/2 tsp salt
-1 roll of fillo or phyllo dough cut in half length-wise (thaw overnight in fridge)
-damp tea towel or paper towel
-parchment paper for the sheet pan to prevent scorching
How to make:
1)preheat the oven to 350 F
2)melt 1 stick of butter and put in a small bowl, have pastry brush handy
3)in a mixer beat cheese, eggs, onion, cream cheese, and seasonings until thoroughly combined
4)take one roll of phyllo dough, roll it out then cut it in half length-wise
5)lightly dampen your towel and set over the top of the phyllo dough stack to keep from drying out
6)line a baking sheet with parchment paper
7)take one strip dough on your surface and place 1 tsp of cheese mix onto the corner of it
8)brush a small amount of butter over the sheet of dough
9)fold one corner over to make the start of your triangle, keep folding all the way down until you have a triangle
10)place your triangle on the baking sheet and brush with a little more butter
11)bake for 15-20 minutes but keep an eye on them, we want brown/golden color
12)cool for 2 minutes then serve
So crunchy, buttery and cheesy! I hope these delicious triangles will make their way onto your table this holiday season.