Baklava with Cooky Filling
Submitted by ntretola
Greek baklava with buttery cookie dough rolled around spiced nuts and phyllo, soaked in honey-lemon syrup for layers of crisp pastry and rich almond filling.
YIELD
36 servingsPREP
40 minCOOK
20 minREADY
60 minThis baklava variation stuffs tender cookie dough inside crisp phyllo layers, creating a richer filling than traditional nut-only versions.
Each slice reveals spirals of cinnamon-spiced almonds wrapped in buttery pastry.
The cold honey syrup seeps into hot pastry, creating that signature sticky-sweet crunch.
Lemon juice brightens the syrup just enough to balance intense sweetness.
Kitchen Tips
- Work quickly with phyllo sheets and keep unused portions covered with damp towel to prevent drying and cracking
- Syrup must be completely cold before pouring over hot baklava, or it won’t absorb properly
- Let baklava sit at least 4 hours (overnight is better) before serving so syrup fully penetrates all layers
- Toast almonds beforehand to intensify nutty flavor and prevent raw taste in the finished pastry
Ingredients
Directions
*Note: Either toasted blanched almonds, or walnut meats, or half of each, (finely chopped) may be used.
Cooky Filling: Cream the 2 cups sweet butter until light. Gradually beat in the confectioners’ sugar and continue to beat until mixture is fluffy. Add egg yolk and vanilla or almond extract and blend well. Work in about 4 cups flour to make a medium-soft dough. Set aside and make syrup.
Syrup: In a saucepan combine the granulated sugar and water. Bring to a boil and boil for 15 minutes or until syrup is slightly thick. Add honey and again bring to the boiling point. Add lemon juice to taste, and cool.
Mix almonds or walnuts, or a combination of the two, with zwieback, 4 tablespoon granulated sugar, and cinnamon. Brush 2 sheets of phyllo pastry evenly with butter and sprinkle with nut mixture.
Place 2 buttered sheets of phyllo on top and sprinkle with nut mixture. Shape a portion of cooky filling into a ½-inch-thick roll and place the roll along one edge of the pastry sheets. Roll up loosely, cut into 2-inch slices, and place slices in a buttered cake pan. (Continue in this method until all phyllo pastry and/or cooky filling is used.)
Brush tops of each slice with butter and bake in a 350℉ (180℃) oven for 20 minutes or until lightly browned. Dip the hot baklava slices, one at a time, in cold syrup, allowing each piece to remain in the syrup for a few minutes.
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