This recipe was passed to me by my grandmother who passed away about a year ago, her cooking always made me so happy. During the last years of her life I was determined to get all our families recipes so I could pass on to my children, always keeping in mind the love and care my grandma gave me. She came from Aleppo and when moved to Brazil she had to learn and adapt all ingredients of her favorite Syrian recipes to what was available there. She managed to change it and every yom tov and Shabbos we would enjoy her delights. This is one of many recipes she shared with me.
Ingredients:
– 4 Cups of All Purpose Flour
– 1 Cup of Butter (2 1/4 sticks), at room temperature
– 1 Tbsp. of Baking Powder
– 1/2 Cup of Water
– 1 Tsp of Salt
– 2.5 Cups of grated Muenster Cheese
– 1 Tbsp. of Butter
– 1 Egg
– 2 Tbsp. of Sesame Seeds
Instructions :
– To make the dough, start by mixing the flour, butter, and salt in a large bowl. Try to blend the butter as much as possible to avoid clumps in the dough mixture. Add the water slowly, so the dough can incorporate all the ingredients, it might need more water. Knead the dough till soft and moist. Cover and leave in the fridge, for 10 minutes, this will help make the dough slightly harder because of the butter and will be easier to make open the dough.
– Make the filling, add cheese, eggs and the tablespoon of butter into a bowl and combine them.
Pre-heat the oven at 350° F.
Take the dough and divide in 1/8 cup balls. Dip one side of the ball into the sesame seeds.
Flatten the balls with a rolling pin, into a 2 inch round. Place 1 Tbs. of filling in the center and fold it in half. Pinch the ends closed. You could press the edges with the back of a fork to make it tighter or make the traditional edge, using your thumbs and forefingers, pinch and twist inward till the end of the Sambussak. (at this point you could freeze it!)
Place the Sambussak on a baking sheet with parchment paper, bake for about 15 min or until they are lightly browned. (Frozen Sambussak should be baked at 400°F for 20min).
Enjoy hot or room temperature.
Sophia Azulay was born and raised in Brazil. She moved to New York to go to college, and was always really excited about cooking and gastronomical experiences, and as a result started an Instagram account for all of her experiments. Inspired by Sophia’s grandmothers and mom, adding love to every single recipe its a must for her so she can enjoy the process of making any kind of food and eating it.
