Spinach and feta mini pie

Today I would like to present spinach, feta and ricotta mini pies. First time i have been eating this snack years ago in Greece and really enjoyed that. I have recently decided to recreate that flavour and, have to admit, with good result. As usually on my blog they were very easy to make and bake :)

Ingredients for 12 mini pies:

• 450g frozen spinach thawed
• 2 eggs
• 250g ricotta cheese
• 270g feta
• 1/2 tsp nutmeg
• pepper
• 6 sheets filo pastry
• olive oil

Thaw the spinach and drain all excess liquid. Place the spinach in a bowl. Add the eggs, ricotta, nutmeg, pepper and mix them together. Then add crumbled feta cheese and fold the chunks in. Set aside.

Preheat the oven to 200C. Brush muffin tin cups with olive oil. Cut the filo pastry into squares 12 x 12 cm approximately. Line each muffin tin cup with few pieces of filo pastry. Make sure to push the pastry down so it is in the corners of each muffin hole. 

filo pastry

When all pastry is divide among all muffin cups. Spoon the filling into each one. Then fold over the excess of filo pastry so all filing would be covered. 

Brush the pastry with olive oil.

Insert the tin into preheated oven. Bake about 20 minutes until pastry turns gold and filling won't be wobbly. 

baked

Keep the pies in muffin tin for a few minutes until they slightly cool down. Then transfer to the plate. 

Enjoy warm or cooled down.

For recipe in Polish look here, please.

Apple muffins with raisins and ricotta cheese

Moist, chewy with crunchy crust, filled with chunks of apples and raisins that I think would be the best description of those muffins. The cake is very like pancake batter. If you like pancakes you will like them. This time I baked my muffins in extra large muffin cases. They look huge but we ate them all.

Ingredients for 6 big or 12 standard size muffins:

• 4 small apples
• 1 tbsp lemon juice
• 250g flour
• 2 and 1/2 tsp baking powder
• pinch of salt
• 100g raisins
• 250g ricotta cheese
• 150 ml milk
• 100g sugar
• 125g melted butter
• 2 eggs
• icing sugar for dusting

Peel off the apples, remove seeds. Dice the apples, place them in a small bowl add the lemon juice and set aside.

Melt the butter and set aside to cool down.

Preheat the oven to 180C. Line muffin tin with paper cases.

In a big bowl whisk the flour, baking powder, salt add the raisins.

Into electric  mixer bowl put the ricotta, milk, sugar, cooled butter and eggs. Beat until the mixture is smooth and creamy. Beating continuously add spoon by spoon dry ingredients. When all ingredients are incorporated gently fold in diced apples.

Spoon the batter into muffin cases, 3/4 full. Bake for 20 - 30 minutes, until toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean. When ready remove form oven and cool down on wire rack. You may dust with icing sugar but for me they were sweet enough.

Enjoy !

Lime muffins with ricotta cheese filling

Lime muffins with ricotta cheese filling are very citrusy, moist, sweet and sticky. Sticky because of lime syrup the muffins are coated with. Muffins were very nice but the lime slices were not edible at all. The recipe comes from 'New Italian cuisine. Muffins'.

Ingredients for 12 muffins:

• 4 limes (in original recipe is 5 but I think it is way to much)
• 125g ricotta cheese
• 130g sugar
• 250g flour
• 2 tsp baking powder
• pinch of salt
• 2 eggs
• 100g brown sugar
• 200g natural yogurt
• 90 ml sunflower oil
• 250g icing sugar (originally 30g but by mistake I added 250g and I think it is much better that way)

Preheat the oven to 190C. Line muffin tin with paper cases. 

Great the lime zest from two limes, squeeze juice from 3 limes and slice the 4th one. Set aside.

In a small bowl with a fork mix ricotta cheese with 2 tablespoons of sugar and 2 tablespoons of lime juice. Set aside.

Into a big bowl sift the flour, baking powder and salt and whisk everything together. Set aside.

Put the eggs, sugars, yogurt, oil, lime zest, 6 tablespoons of lime juice into a big bowl and beat them with electric mixer until combined. Then add the dry ingredients and beat until smooth and creamy.

Spoon the batter into paper cases about 1/2 full. Then put spoon of ricotta cheese mixture, divide evenly among 12 muffin cases. cover with remaining batter.

Bake for 20 minutes until well risen and spongy.

While the muffins are in the oven prepare lime syrup. Pour the remaining lime juice into a saucepan add the icing sugar and heat up on medium. Bring it to boil and add lime slices. Cook for another 10 minutes stirring occasionally. When the syrup thickens remove from the heat.

Pour the syrup over hot muffins decorate with lime slices. 

Any syrup leftovers are great added to the freshly brewed tea.