Bulgarian cheese pastries

Currently swooning over Tolstoy's Anna Karenina.  A saga about a consuming passion against the backdrop of Belle Epoque Russia.  Images are conjured of grand balls with princesses dancing the mazurka, cuckolded husbands, horse racing,  jealous lovers ...and of course, the ultimate tragic ending.  But one of my favourite lines in the whole book which made me laugh uproariously  was after Count Vronsky had acted as a tour guide for a foreign prince showing him quintessential Russian amusements over the course of a week, "he felt like he was attending a lunatic and afraid for his own reason too'.

So, in the Eastern European spirit, here is a very easy recipe which hails from Bulgaria.   It is adapted from a book called Rilka's Feasts, which has no photos at all but is filled with family anecdotes and simple recipes.  These are a particular hit with children and excellent for adults too served hot with a tipple or two.  Makes 20 -30.

260g plain yoghurt
1tsp bicarb of soda
150g crumbled fetta
200g cheddar cheese
300g plain flour, sifted
1/2 tsp smoked paprika
10 mint leaves chopped up
1/3 cup vegetable oil
extra 50g of cheddar cheese

Preheat oven to 180degrees.  Mix yoghurt with the soda in a large glass bowl.  It will effervesce, such is the effect of the soda when combined with moisture.

Add all the other ingredients (except extra cheese) and mix with your hands till you have a sticky dough (careful not to overwork the dough).  Moisten your hands with a little oil and pull off a pieces to form round 2cm balls.  Flatten the tops slightly and sprinkle with extra cheese and place on greased baking trays.  Bake for 15 - 20 mins till pastries are golden and cheese has melted. 

If I have sesame seeds I combine a handful with the extra cheese and sprinkle over the top for a nice crunch.