Baklava – Recipe!

Baklava – a crispy, nutty, honey drenched sweet treat that should definitely be part of your dessert regime this fall season.

Layers of filo dough are brushed with butter and topped with a combination of nuts and topped with a homemade honey orange blossom water syrup.  It may sound complicated, but it’s not.  Filo dough is available in most grocers and specialty stores, and is defrosted and gently rolled out, before this dessert is assembled.  One trick to keeping the dough moist during layering is to cover the dough with a damp towel, so it doesn’t dry out.

The syrup is a quick boil of honey, water, sugar and orange blosoom water – an ingredient you can find at middle eastern stores or online.  If you haven’t baked or cooked with this specialty infused water, you should consider all its uses; including adding it to so many recipes like cakes, custards, cocktails and nutty desserts like baklava.

After scoring and baking this nutty treat, the syrup is poured over top, and then — listen — it crackles beautifully as the crispy layers drink it up.  Serve it warm or room temperature.

Ingredients

16 ounces frozen defrosted filo dough or homemade

16 tablespoons butter, melted

1/2 pound walnuts

1/2 pound pistachios

1 tablespoon cinnamon

1/3 cup granulated sugar

Honey Syrup

1 cup granulated sugar

1/2 cup honey

juice of 1/2 lemon

3/4 cup water

1 tablespoon orange blossom water

(Serves 8-10)

To Prepare:

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees.  Brush 12 x 9 inch pan with butter.  Unfold filo dough and cut a few inches larger than size of pan.  Cover with damp towel.
2. In a pot on stove top, add all honey syrup ingredients and boil over medium heat, stirring occasionally.  Remove from heat and set aside
3. In a food processor, add walnut, pistachios, cinnamon and sugar.  Pulse 10-12 times until coarse crumbs.
4. Begin layering 5 pieces of filo into prepared pan, brushing with butter on each layer.  Top with 1/2 cup of nut mixture.  Repeat layering, ending with filo dough on top.
5. Cut baklava crosswise all the way through, about 2 1/2 inches apart.  Then, cut diagonally 2 1/2 inch apart to create a diamond pattern.
6. Bake for 1 hour 10 minutes or until lightly golden brown.  Remove from oven and immediately pour honey syrup over top – listen.
7. Allow to cool for 30 minutes before serving or leave on counter top to serve later.  Enjoy!