Festive Filo Pastries With Meat and Dates for Rosh Hashanah

This recipe features festive filo pastries filled with a savory mixture of ground beef, caramelized onions, and sweet dates, seasoned with cinnamon, cumin, salt, and pepper. The dish is presented as a warm appetizer that is expected to be a crowd-pleaser, with instructions on how to prepare individual pastries or a larger roll-up.

The preparation involves sautéing onions until deeply golden, then browning ground beef. Dates and spices are added, and the mixture is cooked for an additional two minutes before being set aside to cool.

For assembly, filo dough sheets are brushed with olive oil, layered, and cut into three strips. A spoonful of the meat and date filling is placed at the end of each strip, which is then rolled into a cigar shape or folded into a triangle.

The pastries are brushed again with olive oil and baked at 190 degrees Celsius (375 degrees Fahrenheit) for 15-20 minutes until golden brown and crispy. The recipe suggests serving them hot, optionally with tahini and date syrup, highlighting the perfect combination of meat and date sweetness for the Rosh Hashanah holiday.