Baklawa

Notes

• Make sure the syrup thickens a little before adding lemon juice and simmering.
• Resist the temptation to overbake; it’s okay if the top isn’t entirely brown.

Syrup, Orange Blossom and Rose Water

(For use with nut-filled baklava.)

• 2.5 cups (525 g) sugar
• 1 1/2 cup (350 mL) water
• Half of a fresh lemon, squeezed (must be lemon – orange won’t work)
• 2 tbsp (30 mL) rose water
• 2 tbsp (30 mL) orange blossom water

1. Boil the syrup. When it starts to thicken, add the lemon juice and stir.
2. Reduce heat and simmer for ten minutes.
3. Remove from heat, add the rose water and orange blossom water, and stir.
4. Allow to cool to room temperature.

Syrup, Honey

(For use with nut- and chocolate-filled baklava.)

• 300 g sugar
• 300 g honey
• Half of a fresh lemon, squeezed (must be lemon – orange won’t work)
• 300 mL water

1. Boil the syrup. When it starts to thicken, add the lemon juice and stir.
2. Reduce heat and simmer for ten minutes.
3. Remove from heat, allow to cool to room temperature.

Baklava

• 1 package phyllo pastry (1 lb./454 g)
• 1 1/2 cup (338 g) unsalted butter, more as needed
• 2 1/2 cups (375 g) cashews/walnuts/almonds/pistachios
• 1/3 cup (70 g) sugar
• 1/4 tsp cardamom (optional)

1. Defrost the phyllo pastry overnight in the fridge and allow to sit at room temperature for two hours.
2. In a food processor, pulse the nuts and sugar until nuts are fine with a few large pieces remaining.
3. Melt the butter.
4. Butter a 9” x 13” pan and set aside. Preheat oven to 350 °F.
5. Unroll phyllo pastry, so that the long (18”) edge is in front of you. Slice phyllo in half, resulting in two sets of 9” x 13”-14” sheets. Leave a piece of parchment or other “bookmark” between the two sets of sheets so you know when you’re half-way through. Cover sheets with a cloth so they don’t dry out.
6. Place first sheet of phyllo on pan. Center it, and try to ensure there are no pockets of air underneath.
7. Using a pastry brush, brush a layer of butter onto the phyllo.
8. Repeat from step 7 until half-way through the phyllo sheets (should be around 20 sheets).
9. Butter sheet #20. Spread nut/sugar mixture evenly in pan.
10. Place a sheet of phyllo over the nuts. Continue buttering and layering sheets of phyllo until no sheets remain.
11. Press the sheets down, evenly, so that they stick to the nuts.
12. With a sharp (straight-edged) knife or bench scraper, make five cuts, evenly, cutting across the long side, followed by nine cuts, diagonally, resulting in a diamond pattern.
13. Bake for 40-45 minutes, until golden.
14. Remove from oven and immediately spoon cooled syrup into pan.
15. Allow to rest for at least two hours, but preferably overnight, so that the baklava can soak up the syrup.

Variation: Chocolate

• 375 g nuts (hazelnut works well)
• 340 g chocolate (semi-sweet or dark)
• 140 g sugar
• 2 tbsp cinnamon

Variation: Cookies

• Make baklava using ten full sheets (9” x 18”).
• Use a 3” cookie cutter to cut baklava into cookies. Bake in a mini-cheesecake pan (with removable bottoms) for ~20 minutes.
• Soak with syrup, then enrobe in chocolate.

Sources

http://phoeniciangourmet.blogspot.com/2009/02/lebanese-baklawa-part-ii.html

http://www.maureenabood.com/2011/12/15/lebanese-baklawa-do-you-hear-what-i-hear/

http://allrecipes.com/recipe/9454/baklava/