Dough:

• 1/2 c. butter or margarine

• 1/2 c. vegetable oil

• 1/2 c. lukewarm water

• 1/2 tsp. salt

• 3 1/2 c. unbleached all-purpose flour  (pre-sift)

• Combine melted butter, oil, water and salt in a medium-sized bowl and mix well.
• Gradually stir in the flour to make a soft, slightly greasy dough. Mix only until the dough comes away from the sides of the bowl; do not overmix. Gather the dough into a ball and cover with plastic wrap.
• Let rest for 15–30 min. while making the filling.
• Proceed to making the filling.  In this recipe, roasted eggplant and cheese filling is being used.

• 2 large eggplants, pricked all over with a fork

• 4 oz. feta cheese, crumbled   "KOSHER"

• 1 cup grated kasseri or kasheval cheese  "KOSHER"

• 2 large eggs

• 1/4 tsp. salt or to taste

• Matzo meal (use a little only if the filling is very wet)

• Beaten egg for glazing

• Put the eggplants on a sheet pan and roast in a 400° Fahrenheit oven for 30-40 minutes, or until the skin is very dark and the eggplants are very soft.
• Cut the eggplants open and scrape out the flesh; place in a colander.
• Let drain 15 to 20 minutes, squeezing with your hands occasionally to press out as much excess liquid as possible.
• Chop the eggplant into small pieces (it will be quite mushy) and put into a bowl.
• Blend in the feta and stir in the grated kasseri.
• Beat the eggs well, add to the bowl and mix in well.
• Taste for salt and season if it needs it.
• Add a bit of matzoh meal to take up excess moisture if the filling is really runny.
• Now its time to return to make the bourekas.  

1. Roll the dough into 36 balls, each the size of a walnut.
2. With your fingertips and palms or with a rolling pin, flatten or roll each ball into an oval about 3x4 inches.
3. Put a scant tablespoon of filling on one side of the oval and fold the other side crosswise over the filling to form a half moon shape.
4. Pinch the edges well together — the characteristic closure is a pleated fold crimping the edges together all the way around the turnover, but you can crimp with the tines of a fork.
5. Place the bourekas one inch apart on ungreased baking sheets. Brush the tops with beaten egg.
6. Sprinkle the tops with a little grated cheese if you want, prick once with a fork to allow steam to escape.
7. Bake at 375° Fahrenheit for 30–35 minutes until golden brown and crisp. Serve hot or at room temperature. Bourekas freeze beautifully.

Yield: approximately  36 -  3" pastries 

NOTE:  The fillings are uncomplicated, ranging from potato, spinach or eggplant with cheese, to soft cheesy custards, to roasted eggplant with tomatoes.  Because eggplant reigns as the undisputed queen of Sephardic vegetables,  we've opted to use an eggplant filling with feta and kasheval or kasseri cheeses