Baklava
Baklava
I am not a baker. I enjoy cooking because of it’s creativity and lack of rigidity. You’ll notice most of my recipes are a bit vague and leave lots of room for play! This recipe, however, is so worth the “baking” precision I usually avoid. I found the original in a cookbook, and played with it, tweaking it a bit every time, until I came up with this final result. It’s the most amazing baklava I’ve ever tasted, and I’ve had several people say the same! *unapologetic bragging*
Filling:
3 cups walnuts, very finely ground
1/2 cup sugar
2 tbsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
1 1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted
1 16-oz package phyllo dough, thawed
Syrup:
1 1/4 cup sugar
1 cup water
2-3 inches stick cinnamon
thinly sliced lemon peel
juice of a whole lemon
1/2 cup honey
rose water
For syrup, in a medium saucepan stir together the 1 1/4 cups sugar, water, rose water, cinnamon stick, and lemon peel. Bring to a boil; reduce heat. Simmer, uncovered, over medium heat for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat. Remove cinnamon. Stir in honey and lemon juice. Let syrup cool to room temperature (do not refrigerate).
For filling, in a large bowl stir together walnuts, the 1/2 cup sugar, ground cinnamon and nutmeg. Set aside.
Brush the bottom of a 3-quart baking dish with some of the melted butter. Unfold phyllo dough. With kitchen shears of a knife, cut through the whole stack of phyllo dough sheets at one time, to fit your rectangle baking dish – discard extra pieces. One layer at a time, layer several phyllo sheets in the dish, generously brushing each sheet with melted butter. Sprinkle one-third (about 1 1/3 cups) of the filling on the phyllo layers. Repeat layering the phyllo sheets and filling twice. Layer remaining phyllo sheets on the third layer of filling, brushing each sheet with butter before layering the next sheet. Drizzle any remaining butter on the top layer.
Baklava Fresh From the Oven
With a sharp knife, slice the baklava into 4 long columns. Then make diagonal cuts through all layers, making diamonds. (Do not remove from dish). Bake in a 325 degree oven for 40-50 minutes or until golden. Cool slightly, and pour syrup over hot baklava, using candied lemon peel as garnish. Cool completely or let stand overnight at room temperature before serving.
Tags: Comfort Food, Desserts, Greek, Mediterranean
