Leek with cheese and za'atar rugelach

Ingredients

Cream cheese pastry

• 160g - plain flour, plus extra for dusting
• ¼ tsp - baking powder
• 40g - Parmesan, finely grated
• 125g - unsalted butter, fridge-cold, cut into roughly 3cm cubes
• 125g - cream cheese, fridge-cold
• 1 - small egg, lightly beaten with a pinch of salt, for brushing
• salt and black pepper

Filling

• 1 tbsp - olive oil
• 2 - small leeks, thinly sliced (300g)
• 1 tsp - finely grated lemon zest
• 70g - feta, crumbled
• 1 tbsp - cream cheese
• 2 tsp - za’atar, plus 1 tbsp extra for sprinkling
• 100g - Cheddar, finely grated, plus about 30g extra for sprinkling on to

Procedure

1. First make the pastry. Place the flour, baking powder, 20g of the Parmesan, ¼ teaspoon of salt and some pepper in a food processor. Blitz for 15 seconds, to combine, then add the butter. Process for a few more seconds, until the mixture has the texture of breadcrumbs, and then add the cream cheese. Process just until the dough begins to come together: take care not to over-process here. Tip the dough on to a lightly floured work surface and knead for a few seconds, just to bring it together. Divide into two equal pieces, wrap each loosely in reusable cling film, then press to flatten. Chill in the fridge for at least 1 hour.
2. Next, make the filling. Put the oil into a frying pan and place on a medium heat. Add the leeks and ½ teaspoon of salt and cook for 15–18 minutes, until softened but having not taken on any colour. Stir in the lemon zest and some pepper, then remove from the heat and set aside to cool. Smoosh together the feta and cream cheese and add this to the leeks, along with the za’atar and Cheddar. Mix and set aside.
3. When ready to assemble, preheat the oven to 180°C fan.
4. On a lightly floured work surface, roll out one of the dough halves into a circle, roughly 28cm wide and about 2mm thick. Spoon half the leek mixture on top and spread it out evenly over the surface. Then, using a sharp knife, cut the circle as though you are slicing a round cake or pizza into eight equal slices.
5. One at a time – starting from the base of the triangle – roll each wedge quite tightly from the outer edge towards the tip so that the filling is enclosed. Place them on two parchment-lined baking trays, seam side down. Repeat with the remaining dough and filling. Lightly brush the tops of each crescent with the egg wash and sprinkle with the remaining Parmesan, Cheddar and za’atar. Bake for 23–25 minutes, rotating the trays halfway through, until the rugelach are golden brown all over. Leave to cool for 5–10 minutes before serving.