Baklava is a Middle-Eastern dessert. It is a rich, sweet
pastry made of layers of filo filled with chopped nuts and sweetened and held
together with syrup or honey. Here is the full recipe. Hope you enjoy.
Ingredients
For the baklava:
 |
| Baklava |
• 1 lb. of
chopped nuts (almonds, walnuts, or pistachios are best, or use a combination of
them)
• 1 lb of
phyllo dough
• 1 cup of
butter, melted
• 1/3 cup
of sugar
• 1
teaspoon of ground cinnamon
For the syrup:
• 1 cup of
water
• 1 cup of
sugar
• 1/2 cup
of honey
• 2
tablespoons of lemon juice
• 1
cinnamon stick
• Finely
ground pistachios for garnish (optional)
Method
1 Lightly grease a 9x13 pan and set the oven to 350°F.
2 Thaw the phyllo dough according to manufacturer's
directions (this may take overnight). When thawed, roll out the dough and cut
the dough in half so the sheets will fit in the pan. Cover with a damp towel to
keep it from drying out.
3 Process the nuts until in small, even sized pieces.
Combine with sugar, cinnamon. In a separate bowl, melt the butter in the
microwave.
4 Place a sheet of phyllo dough into the pan. Using a pastry
brush; brush the phyllo sheet with melted butter. Repeat 7 more times until it
is 8 sheets thick, each sheet being "painted" with the butter.
5 Spoon on a thin layer of the nut mixture. Cover with two
more sheets of phyllo, brushing each one with butter. Continue to repeat the
nut mixture and two buttered sheets of phyllo until the nut mixture is all used
up. The top layer should be 8 phyllo sheets thick, each sheet being
individually buttered. Do not worry if the sheets crinkle up a bit, it will
just add more texture.
6 Cut into 24 equal sized squares using a sharp knife. Bake
at 350°F for 30-35 minutes or until lightly golden brown, and edges appear
slightly crisp.
7 While baking, make the syrup. Combine the cinnamon stick,
sugar, lemon juice, honey, and water in a saucepan. Bring to a boil, then
reduce to medium low heat and let simmer for 7 minutes and slightly thickened.
Remove the cinnamon stick and allow to cool.
8 Spoon the cooled syrup over the hot baklava and let cool
for at least 4 hours. Garnish with some finely crushed pistachios of desired.
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