Baklava

Baklava

I discovered the JOY that is Baklava when I was a teen living in Wenatchee, Washington. There was a Greek restaurant that my family visited on a regular basis. A lovely bowl of lentil soup, and baklava for dessert was my standing order.

My mom made a pan of baklava a couple of times for my birthday and I loved it then, too.

Recently my middle daughter and I started going to a local Gyro place...and they have baklava on the menu. I mentioned that Grama had made it before and we both decided to search for a recipe. There are many to be found on the internet. This recipe is a mixture of several. Some suggest a bit of lemon zest in the sugar sauce, but we don't go there.

At this point in time, my eldest and middle daughter have helped me with the preparation of baklava. It IS time consuming, but what a payoff! Look at this gorgeous baklava! Makes you want to lick the screen, doesn't it? You probably shouldn't, but you could make one yourself...let me know how it turns out!

Baklava

1 (16 ounce) package phyllo dough (this is found in the freezer section of your grocery store, right next to the puff pastry)

1 pound chopped nuts (we use almonds, but you can use almost any kind, or a mixture if you are adventurous)

3/4 cup butter (most recipes call for 1 c, but this amount works for us)

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

 

1 cup water

1 cup white sugar

2 teaspoons vanilla extract (most call for 1 tsp but we like MORE!)

1/2 cup honey

 

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

Butter the bottom and sides of a 9x13 inch pan

Chop nuts and toss with cinnamon in a small bowl. Set aside

 

Unroll phyllo dough. Some recipes say to cut in half, but we don't do that. This fits perfectly in our 9x13 pan

 

Cover phyllo with a dampened cloth to keep from drying out as you work. I don't do this as I have a helper and we can really whip through the preparation. There isn't time for it to dry out!

 

Place two sheets of dough in pan, butter thoroughly. We use our fingers dipped in the butter to mush it around

 

Repeat until you have 8 layered sheets

 

Sprinkle 2 - 3 tablespoons of nut mixture evenly over the top

 

Top with two sheets of dough, butter, nuts, layering as you go

 

When I run out of nuts, I layer the rest of the dough, two at a time until I've used the entire package

The top layer should be at least 6-8 deep. The more the crunchier! 

Using a sharp knife, cut into diamond or square shapes all the way to the bottom of the pan. Dipping the knife in water helps to keep the cuts tidy

 

Bake for about 50 minutes until baklava is a lovely golden brown color.

While the baklava is baking, boil the sugar and water until sugar is melted. Add vanilla and honey. Simmer for about 20 minutes.

Remove baklava from oven and immediately pour the sauce over it. We love to watch and HEAR the sizzle as the warm sauce settles into the hot pastry.

 

Let cool. Serve in cupcake papers. This freezes well. We store it loosely covered in the fridge.

Family Rating of

 

Five out of FIVE!