2 Recipes Below…
1 package phyllo sheets, thawed
4 cups walnuts or pistachios, finely chopped
1/2 cup sugar
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. cardamom (optional)
1/2 cup butter, melted
Syrup:
2 cups sugar
1 cup water
1/2 cup honey
a thick strip of lemon peel (cut a slice off with a vegetable peeler, getting mostly the outer yellow part)
Preheat the oven to 375°F. In a small bowl, stir together the nuts, sugar and spices.
Make sure your phyllo is completely thawed, and keep it covered with a tea towel or piece of plastic wrap to keep them from drying out. Place 2 sheets of phyllo on the bottom of a rimmed baking pan or jelly roll pan (about 12″x16″) and brush lightly with butter. Add three more stacks of two sheets (it’s easier to pull them off the pile two at a time), brushing with butter between each. Once you have 8 pieces of phyllo, spread a third of the nut mixture overtop.
Place 4 more sheets of phyllo on top of the nuts, brushing melted butter between each sheet or every two sheets. Repeat with another third of the nut mixture, another 4 sheets, and the rest of the nuts. Layer the remaining sheets of phyllo on top of the nuts; brush the top sheet with butter as well. Tuck in any sticking-out edges.
Cut the pastry lengthwise into four strips, then crosswise into six, making 24 pieces (they don’t have to be square), making sure not to slice through the bottom layer of phyllo. (This allows the syrup to soak in better.) Make diagonal cuts through each square, making them rectangles (you’ll end up with 48).
Bake for 20-25 minutes or until golden. While the baklava bakes, combine the sugar, water, honey and lemon peel in a pan set over medium-high heat and bring to a boil. Remove from the heat and take out the lemon peel.
When the baklava comes out of the oven, immediately pour the hot syrup evenly overtop. Let the baklava stand at room temperature until completely cool. Slice through each piece completely before serving. Makes 48 pieces.
. . . . . . . . . . . Recipe #2 . . . . . . . . . .
Flavors of Greece
Total time: 30 to 60 minutes
Preparation time: 15 minutes
Cooking time: 20 minutes
Difficulty: Easy
Chef’s Note
This rich pastry is a famous dessert in Greece, Turkey and most Middle Eastern countries. Whatever its origin, the basic technique remains the same.
Some cooks replace the sugar with honey (reduce the quantity by half). You can use walnuts, almonds or a mixture of both – or even add some pistachios. Add a touch of orange flower water or rose water to flavor the syrup, if desired.
With these three variables, you can adapt the baklava recipe to suit your taste, making it in a rectangular dish or as individual pastries.
Ingredients:
– 450 g (1 lb.) Walnut or almonds, finely chopped
– 125 ml (1/2 cup) bread crumbs
– 65 ml (1/4 cup) sugar
– 450 g (1 lb.) Phyllo or Filo pastry
– Ground cinnamon and cloves
– 325 ml (1 1/3 cups) butter
Syrup
– 1 liter (4 cups) sugar
– 500 ml (2 cups) water
– Juice of 1 lemon
Method
1. Combine the nuts, bread crumbs, spices and sugar;
2. brush each sheet of phyllo pastry with melted butter;
3. line a rectangular baking dish with 6 layered sheets of phyllo;
4. spread a layer of the nut mixture over top;
5. cover with 2 sheets of phyllo; repeat until the filling is used up;
6. top with 6 sheets of phyllo (each one brushed with butter and layered);
7. make some slashes on the top of the pastry with a sharp knife;
8. bake in a 180° C (350° F) oven for about 20 minutes until the top is nicely browned; let cool;
9. prepare the syrup: boil the sugar, water and lemon juice together in a saucepan for about 10 minutes;
10. pour the hot syrup over the cooled baklava;
11. let rest several hours before serving;
12. cut into squares.