Baklava is a Middle-Eastern dessert. I was introduced to it by one of my coworker in a Meditarion Café. After having a bite of it, I instantly fell in love with it. I have been entertaining myself with a bite of this soothing and rich desert time to time but never had a chance to make it at home. Yesterday I had a chance to make it. Although it was my first attempt, it came really good. It is easy to make and you can modify syrup a little for yourself. For syrup I replaced few spoons of sugar (you can even use brown sugar instead of regular sugar) with honey and used less butter. The taste was not different than the regular ones found in restaurants.
Preparation Time: Maximum 45 minutes
Ingredients:
Fillo Dough (you can buy it in any grocery store at frozen section)
(I used half of the fillo dough for this recipe and made 16 pieces)
Butter: 1 Stick (7 table spoons melted and ready to use)
Toasted Chopped Nuts (I used almonds and pecan)
For Syrup:
1 Cup water
½ Cup Brown Sugar
¼ Cup Honey (some people don’t like the taste of honey, so it’s optional. you can only use sugar)
1 table spoon of Lime /Lemon Juice
Lemon Zest (optional)
Instructions:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
Grease the bottom and sides of a baking pan with a pastry brush.
Open the package of fillo dough and stack sheets on a plain surface. Trim sides to fit into baking tray. My tray was big enough to fit the sheets so I didn’t trim. Cover the fillo sheets with dampened towel as it can dry very fast and if it dries, there is no way you can use it. I would suggest not opening the dough until you are ready to make it.
Put a fillo sheet in a baking pan and brush with melted butter. Repeat the process once more for a total of six fillo sheets. Sprinkle nuts over the top of the 6th fillo sheet. Cover the filling with two or three fillo sheets brushing each with butter. Sprinkle the nuts again and cover it with three fillo sheets. you can put as many layers of nuts as you want. Place six more fillo sheets brushing each with butter and stacking one after another. Brush the top layer with butter and it’s ready to bake. Before baking, cut it into small square pieces or any sizes you want (it is very hard to cut it afterward as it will crumble and be messy).
Bake it for 15-20 minutes or until it is golden brown.
Syrup:
Mix Sugar, water, honey, lemon juice and lemon zest in a saucepan, bring to boil, reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes in low heat and let it cool down to room temperature.
When the baklava is golden brown, turn off the oven and take it out and let it cool for 10 minutes. Pour the syrup over each baklava slowly. Once the syrup is absorbed, it is ready to serve. Usually baklava is served at room temperature but you can put it in refrigerator and chill it as well.
Preparation Time: Maximum 45 minutes
Ingredients:
Fillo Dough (you can buy it in any grocery store at frozen section)
(I used half of the fillo dough for this recipe and made 16 pieces)
Butter: 1 Stick (7 table spoons melted and ready to use)
Toasted Chopped Nuts (I used almonds and pecan)
For Syrup:
1 Cup water
½ Cup Brown Sugar
¼ Cup Honey (some people don’t like the taste of honey, so it’s optional. you can only use sugar)
1 table spoon of Lime /Lemon Juice
Lemon Zest (optional)
Instructions:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
Grease the bottom and sides of a baking pan with a pastry brush.
Open the package of fillo dough and stack sheets on a plain surface. Trim sides to fit into baking tray. My tray was big enough to fit the sheets so I didn’t trim. Cover the fillo sheets with dampened towel as it can dry very fast and if it dries, there is no way you can use it. I would suggest not opening the dough until you are ready to make it.
Put a fillo sheet in a baking pan and brush with melted butter. Repeat the process once more for a total of six fillo sheets. Sprinkle nuts over the top of the 6th fillo sheet. Cover the filling with two or three fillo sheets brushing each with butter. Sprinkle the nuts again and cover it with three fillo sheets. you can put as many layers of nuts as you want. Place six more fillo sheets brushing each with butter and stacking one after another. Brush the top layer with butter and it’s ready to bake. Before baking, cut it into small square pieces or any sizes you want (it is very hard to cut it afterward as it will crumble and be messy).
Bake it for 15-20 minutes or until it is golden brown.
Syrup:
Mix Sugar, water, honey, lemon juice and lemon zest in a saucepan, bring to boil, reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes in low heat and let it cool down to room temperature.
When the baklava is golden brown, turn off the oven and take it out and let it cool for 10 minutes. Pour the syrup over each baklava slowly. Once the syrup is absorbed, it is ready to serve. Usually baklava is served at room temperature but you can put it in refrigerator and chill it as well.
Baklava: ready to eat !
