07/25/10: Equipment: Saucepan big enough for 2 cups of syrup
Saucepan or microwave safe 2 cup vessel for melting butter
13 x 9 inch baking dish (glass works well, plain aluminum also good)
Knife or pastry cutter to cut baklava in the pan
Pastry brush (silicone great) or spray bottle for butter spritzing
Oven pre-heated to 350°
Ingredients:
1 (16 ounce) package phyllo dough thawed completely- unroll when ready to use
1.5 to 2 sticks butter melted; may use ghee
2-3 cups finely chopped nuts pecans, walnuts, pistachios or whatever
pre-toast in oven on foil or cookie sheet for ~ 5 min for extra yum!
Spices: to taste! Cinnamon, cardamom, cloves… we used 2 tsp cinnamon
Syrup: 1 cup water
1 cup white sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract (or more)
1/2 cup honey
Optional: more spices, rosewater, lemon zest, salt
How to:
1. Butter the bottoms and sides of the baking pan.
2. Mix nuts with spices and set aside.
3. Unroll phyllo dough. Place two sheets of dough in pan, butter thoroughly, but do not soak. Repeat until you have 8 sheets layered. Sprinkle thin layer of nut mixture on top. Top with two sheets of dough, butter, nuts, layering as you go. The top layer should be about 6 - 8 sheets deep. (or cheat and put all nuts into 2 layers, but don’t cheat on the butter between!)
3. BEFORE COOKING: cut baklava into diamond or square shapes almost to the bottom of the pan. Bake for about 40 minutes until baklava is golden and crisp.
4. Make sauce while baklava is baking. Boil sugar and water until sugar is melted. Add vanilla and honey and other ingredients as desired. Simmer for about 20 minutes, then remove from heat to cool.
5. Remove baklava from oven and immediately spoon cooled sauce over it. Once cool, before serving cut through to the bottom to ensure clean serving.
These can freeze well (reportedly, never let them get that far myself…)
Store loosely covered at room temp or fridge- they will get soggy if completely sealed.
|
