Baklava
Submitted by tthomson
Baklava with shatter-crisp phyllo, ground walnuts and almonds, and honey syrup steeped with lemon and orange slices. The classic Greek pastry done properly, in shimmering diamond-cut squares.
YIELD
16 servingsPREP
30 minCOOK
2 hrsREADY
2 hrsReal baklava lives or dies on three things: the syrup, the nut filling, and the patience to butter every other phyllo sheet. This version nails all three. The syrup simmers with honey, sugar, and slices of lemon and orange for ten minutes, picking up bright citrus notes that cut through the rich, buttery pastry below.
The filling combines ground walnuts and almonds with sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg in three layers between stacks of phyllo. Walnuts bring earthy depth, almonds add their floral sweetness, and the spices keep the nut mixture warm without overwhelming.
Fourteen sheets, then six, then six, then any leftover sheets on top. Brushing every other sheet with melted butter is exactly the right amount: every layer gets enough fat to bake into shatter-crisp pastry without the whole thing turning greasy. The diamond cuts go in before the bake (top layers only) so the syrup can soak through later.
Pro Tips
- Cover the unused phyllo with a slightly damp towel as you work. The sheets dry out and crack within minutes if exposed to air.
- Pour cool syrup over hot baklava, never the other way around. Hot syrup on hot pastry turns it soggy. The temperature contrast keeps the layers crisp.
- Cut the diamonds before baking, but only through the top layers. After baking and pouring the syrup, follow the same lines all the way through.
- Leaving the baklava in the turned-off oven for an hour after baking dries the pastry further and helps it hold its shape against the syrup.
Variations
- Swap walnuts for ground pistachios for a Turkish-style baklava with a brighter green color and sweeter, more delicate nut character.
- Add a teaspoon of orange flower water or rose water to the syrup for a Middle Eastern aromatic profile.
- Brush each finished diamond with a drizzle of warm honey just before serving for an extra-glossy presentation.
Ingredients
Directions
Make syrup by combining sugar and ¾ cup water in saucepan.
Bring to a boil, stirring to dissolve sugar.
Add remaining ingredients, reduce heat and simmer, uncovered, for 10 minutes.
Strain and cool.
Preheat oven to 325℉ (160℃).
Remove phyllo leaves from package, cover with a slightly damp dish towel.
Mix together nuts, almonds sugar, cinnamon and nutmeg.
Place 2 pastry leaves in a 15×10×1 inch jelly roll pan.
Brush with melted butter.
Continue stacking leaves, 14 in all, brushing every other one with butter.
Sprinkle with ⅓ of the nut mixture.
Add 6 more leaves, brushing every other one with butter.
Sprinkle with ⅓ of the nut mixture. Layer 6 more leaves, brushing every other one with butter, sprinkle with remaining nut mixture.
Stack any remaining leaves on top, brushing every other leave. Butter the top leaf. Trim if necessary.
With a sharp knife, cut into diamonds.
Start at one corner and make 8 diagonal cuts at 1 ½ inch intervals.
From opposite corner, repeat cuts.
Cut through top layers only, not all the way through. Bake for 60 minutes or until golden brown and puffy. Turn off oven, leave pastry in oven for another hour.
Remove from oven pour syrup over.
Following diamond pattern, cut all the way through. Cool completely in pan to absorb syrup.
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