I was going through my bookmarks when I came across this recipe for a strawberry goat cheese banitsa that I had bookmarked a while ago.
A banista is a Bulgarian pastry made with sirene (a Bulgarian feta cheese), eggs and phyllo dough. Banistas can be made savoury with spinach or peppers or they can be made sweet. This recipe for a sweet banista caught my eye immediately for its use of sweetened goat cheese (since I could not find the sirene), phyllo dough, strawberry jam and pecans. It simply sounded amazing! When I came across the bookmark I knew that I had to make it and it was the perfect opportunity to use some of the strawberry and rhubarb jam that I had made during the summer. As with most recipes that use phyllo dough, this one took a bit of effort but it was well worth it. The strawberry and rhubarb goat cheese banista with pecans turned out great! It was like a cross between a strawberry baklava and a cheesecake. The strawberry and rhubarb jam was like the syrup in the baklava and the goat cheese had a texture that reminded me of cheese cake. The phyllo dough on top and bottom was nice and crisp and the inside was moist and sticky and oh so good. The pecans added a really nice contrast in texture and finished off the banista nicely. Excuse me while I go and get another slice.
ingredients
1 pound goat cheese
3 eggs
1 cup yogurt
1/3 cup icing sugar
1/2 cup flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 orange (zest)
2 cups pecans (chopped)
1 package phyllo dough
1 cup strawberry and rhubarb jam (or strawberry jam)
1 egg (lightly beaten)
* granulated sugar
1/4 cup pecans (chopped)
directions
Mix the cheese, eggs and yogurt.
Sift in the icing sugar, flour, baking soda and mix.
Mix in the orange zest and pecans.
Lay 3 layers of phyllo dough into a 9×9 inch baking dish.
Spread a third of the cheese mixture on top.
Lay 2 layers of the phyllo dough on top.
Spread half of the jam on top.
Lay 2 layers of the phyllo dough on top.
Spread a third of the cheese mixture on top.
Lay 2 layers of the phyllo dough on top.
Spread half of the jam on top.
Lay 2 layers of the phyllo dough on top.
Spread a third of the cheese mixture on top.
Lay 2 layers of the phyllo dough on top.
Brush the top with the egg and sprinkle the sugar and pecans.
Bake in a preheated 400F/200C oven until the edges are bubbling and the top is golden brown, about 30 minutes.
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