Baklava

 

Baklava. [bah-kluh-vah].  Whether it's a Greek or Turkish version, baklava was traditionally a sweet dessert reserved for special occasions, such as weddings or religious ceremonies due to the time and expense required to produce it. In Turkey, it is said you could hear a poor man say, "I am not rich enough to eat baklava everyday."
Christians often partake of it during Christmas season and during Easter, when it is made using forty layers of phyllo dough, representing the 40 Days of Lent.  The Greeks and Turks, throughout time, have argued as to the origin of the dish. 
We know that baklava is a sweet dessert, but what exactly is it?  It is a pastry, made of layers of phyllo dough with chopped nuts and sweetened with honey.   
Currently, many regions, near and far, have created their own versions of baklava.  One may choose to use walnuts, pecans, pistachios, hazelnuts or almonds, agave syrup instead of honey and cinnamon or brown sugar as the topping.  I have attempted to make the most traditional recipe. 

Baklava
Prep Time: 20 minutes     Cook Time: 40-45 minutes
Serves: 16

1 package phyllo/fillo dough
2 cups pecans/walnuts/pistachios, chopped
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 & 1/2 stick butter, melted
2 cups honey
1/2 cup water 
1/2 cup sugar
3 teaspoons vanilla extract



 

Remove phyllo dough from freezer and store in fridge 24 hours to thaw.  Remove 1 hour before use.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. 

I chose to use pecans for this recipe because that is what I had on hand.  Mawmaw Sides is so gracious to keep us stocked with pecans since she gathers them every year from her lawn.  I simply freeze them until time to use.  Freezing them keeps them fresher longer and keeps them from going rancid. 

 

So, I got my peCANS/peCONS, my cutting board and a sharp knife and off I went...to chopping, and chopping.  I must admit, it did take a while, but who knew, it could be such a stress reliever?! 



 

 

Finally, two cups of pecans chopped and ready to go.  Next, mix 1 teaspoon of cinnamon into the pecans.  Just the smell of cinnamon makes me happy!  Set aside.  Now, keep in mind, I have never made baklava in my life and have only ate it once.  This was a challenge that I wanted to try and was a tad bit intimidating.  But in the end, as you will see, it's quite easy, peasy, lemon squeezy!   

 

Then, butter a 9 X 13 inch baking dish.  BUTTER IT, generously! 

 

Melt 1/2 stick of butter in a microwavable dish.  (I accidently melted the stick and a half of butter, as you can see below.  Don't be like me...just melt 1/2 stick.)  It may look like a lot of butter but you will need it to brush on all the layers of phyllo dough.   

Here comes the "intimidating" part...the phyllo dough.  It can be found in the refrigerated section of the grocery store.  Most stores in our area carry the Athens brand.  Phyllo dough is extremely thin, like tissue paper and must always remain covered.  Be as careful as you can while handling it.  It's fragile and will tear.  But, the beauty of this recipe is that a tear is no big deal.  Phyllo dough dries out very quickly.  After laying it out on a cookie sheet, it is best to keep covered with a piece of plastic wrap AND a dampened kitchen towel. 

 

Now is the time to make sure your phyllo dough is the right size for your dish.  Mine was just a little bigger but not enough to worry with.  Just trim yours down to size if you see that it lays up the edges of dish more than an inch.  Lay 2 pieces of phyllo dough down into buttered dish.

 

A marinade brush is the key for the next step.  If you do not have one, the back of a spoon will do the trick.  Use it to smooth on the butter.  Brush plenty of butter on.  Repeat this process, using 2 sheets of phyllo dough each time, until you have a total of 6 sheets in the bottom of your dish.

 

Next, sprinkle about 1/4 cup of pecans on top.  Yum!  There's that smell of pecans and cinnamon again!   

 

I love cooking, but almost equally, I love capturing the process in photos.  Imagine it...it's difficult enough picking up 2 sheets of phyllo dough without ripping it, layering it in the baking dish, keeping the remaining sheets cover with a dampened towel, while at the same time holding a camera trying to get the perfect shot!  Talk about needing an extra pair of hands.  My husband was so kind to help during these steps.  My "sous chef," as I like to call him. 

 

Add another layer of 2 sheets of phyllo dough, brush with butter, then sprinkle with another 1/4 cup of pecans.  Repeat this two more times, each time with 2 sheets of phyllo dough and 1/4 cup of pecans. 

 Next, layer 2 sheets of phyllo dough, butter, 2 sheets of phyllo dough, butter, 2 sheets of phyllo dough for a total of 6 sheets on top (same as very bottom layer).  Brush the very top with, you guessed it, more butter!  In the picture below, I tried to wrap the edges of phyllo dough under so it looked more polished and finished.  

 

Then, using a very sharp knife, cut your baklava long ways, into thirds.

 

Then, cut into fourths.  The layers of dough is extremely thin, so a sharp knife is key!  Also, cut slowly...take your time.  You don't want to rip the sheets.  A tear here or there is normal though. 

 

The final cut will be diagonally thru each square you have previously created.  Some people leave theirs in squares but I prefer triangular shapes.  It's prettier this way!  Don't you think?

Bake for 40-45 minutes or until the top is golden brown and crisp.

While the baklava is cooking, put the stick of butter, honey, water, sugar and vanilla in a saucepan on medium heat.  Stir.  Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low so it can simmer and thicken.  Then, remove from stove and allow to sit for 10-15 minutes.  



 

I am not the perfect cook!  I have mess ups, spills and splatters.  Speaking of spills...while the topping mixture in saucepan was boiling, I looked away for just a moment and over it went...spewing over the edge, creating quite the mess!  I was able to remove saucepan from eye of stove in time to not lose too much of the mixture.  Burned sugar and honey on a glass top stove...Madness. And. Mayhem!  I repeat: I am not the perfect cook!

 

 Let's take a gander at those beautiful baklava pieces, shall we?

Pecans, cinnamon and dough baking!  My, oh my!  #inovenshot
 

Remove the baklava and allow to sit for 10-15 minutes.    

 

This was my favorite part.  Drizzle the topping mixture onto the baklava pieces.  Pour slowly, allow to absorb, then pour some more.  I found that using a spoon to slowly pour on mixture worked best.  Otherwise, pouring straight from saucepan would cause flooding and drowning.  We don't want flooding and drowning.  We want absorbed and moistened. :) The baklava can only soak up so much, so don't over do it.  You will not use the entire mixture.  Discard the remainder.  Set on counter, uncovered.

I made sure to spoon the mixture on all four corners.  We don't want them left out unless you like crunchy corners.   

 

I was ready to get my fingers sticky and dive in but I would not be eating baklava the intended way.  The hardest part of this recipe is waiting, approximately 3 to 4 hours so the syrup mixture can set and hold everything together.

 

 

Finally, it's time to plate up....



 

 

There you have it.  Baklava.  It's good.  Real good.  Try it soon.  You'll be glad you did.  And, you'll enjoy it right down to the last bite...

 

 

 

Bon appetit...let's eat!,







Recipe Source: www.aboutamom.com