Satisfy Your Sweet Tooth: Homemade Baklava

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Homemade Baklava

What could be better than a classic homemade Baklava dessert made with layers of walnut and pistachios, flaky phyllo dough, and drizzled with spiced honey? You have to make this recipe!

Why will I love this Homemade Baklava recipe?

  • Nothing rivals homemade Baklava – period.  This is THE best Baklava recipe
  • Layers of phyllo pastry filled with a nut mixture, and an infusion of sweet spiced honey
  • It is so much easier than you think- and your guests will be raving.
  • The Best Baklava:   Great for the Holiday platters and special occasions- Sweet,  a little sticky, a little spicy, and fabulously nutty
  • Baklava is one of those dessert recipes that you can make ahead.  It’s even better the next day.  It will keep for up to 2 weeks in an air-tight glass container.  Store at room temperature so it will maintain its crispy texture.  The perfect make-ahead dessert!

Ingredients:

There are three parts

Pastry – Find frozen phyllo dough in the freezer section of the grocery store.

Nut Mixture – Walnuts, pistachios, sugar cinnamon, and ground clove.

Honey Mix- Water, sugar, honey, and lemon juice, orange or orange blossom extract and whole cloves

Origin of Baklava

Baklava is a traditional dessert that is popular in many countries – Middle Eastern, Eastern Europe, and the Mediterranean region. It is believed to have originated in the imperial kitchens of the Ottoman Empire in present-day Turkey. The exact origins of baklava are unclear, but it is thought to have been made as far back as the 8th century B.C. during the Assyrian Empire.
The recipe for honey baklava spread to various countries along with the expansion of the Ottoman Empire, and it has evolved over time to incorporate different ingredients and variations. Today, baklava is made with layers of phyllo dough, nuts, and syrup, and it is enjoyed as a special treat during holidays and celebrations in many cultures.  Other names for Baklava include Samousades, Zournadakia, Masourakia, and Croaks.

Traditional Baklava is the dessert that spans the ages and countries

If you scan the most common Baklava recipes, you will see many small differences and modern twists- but Baklava goes back to ancient times- and was loved and perfected in many countries.

  • Greek Baklava commonly features walnuts and cinnamon
  • Turkish Baklava uses a variety of nuts including almonds, walnuts, and pistachios.  It also includes a topping similar to clotted cream, called kaymak.
  • Iranian Baklava typically features an infusion of Rose water syrup
  • Lebanese Baklava often features Orange Blossom water, but uses much less syrup in the recipe.

Make Baklava

Easy Baklava Recipe

Easy Baklava

Prep Time: 30 minutes

Active Time: 40 minutes

Resting Time before serving: 3 hours

Total Time: 4 hours 10 minutes

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: Greek, Mediterranean

Equipment:

  • 9×13 Glass Baking Dish
  • Food Processor

Ingredients

Baklava and Nut Filling

  • 9 oz Walnuts
  • 9 oz Pistachios
  • ¼ Cup Sugar
  • 1 ½ Tbsp Ground Cinnamon
  • ¼ Tsp Ground Cloves
  • 16 oz Package Phyllo Dough (Thawed)
  • 14 Tbsp Unsalted Butter

Honey Syrup

  • 1 cup Cold water
  • ¾ cup Sugar
  • 1 cup Honey
  • 1 ½ Tbsp Orange Blossom Extract (optional)
  • 5 Cloves (whole)
  • 1 Lemon (juiced)

Honey Syrup

  • Place water and sugar in a medium saucepan
  • Add Honey, Orange, and Cloves- and stir
  • Bring the mixture to a boil. Lower the heat and let simmer for 30 minutes
  • Remove the honey syrup from the heat, and let cool- remove cloves

Nut Mixture

  • Add the Walnuts, and Pistachios to a food processor- Grind to a rough chop
  • Add the nuts to a mixing bowl and stir with Sugar, Cinnamon, and ground Cloves

Phyllo Dough

  • Unroll the thawed Phyllo Dough
  • Place the dough between 2 dry Kitchen Towels

Assemble the Baklava

  • Take one sheet of Phyllo Dough and place it in the glass pan- The pan will fit about 1/2 a sheet.- Brush the entire top surface with butter and fold over
  • Repeat this process – until you have used about ⅓ of the Phyllo dough (with each layer brushed with butter)
  • Spread ½ of the Nut filling over the phyllo stack
  • Resume adding the buttered phyllo dough one layer at a time- until you have used another ⅓ of the dough
  • Distribute the rest of the nut mix over the phyllo dough
  • Finish add the remaining phyllo sheets- Buttering each layer- and then finally buttering the top layer.

Cut the Baklava

  • Use a sharp knife to cut the pastry into 24 diamond shape pieces

Bake

  • Place your Baklava in a 350 degree oven for 40 minutes or until the top of the Baklava turns golden brown (and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean)
  • Remove the Baklava from the oven- and immediately pour the cool honey syrup over the hot Baklava
  • Garnish the Baklava with chopped Pistachios
  • Allow the Baklava to sit for 2 hours before serving

Aphrodesi’hacks’ for Homemade Baklava

Thaw your Phyllo dough ahead of time.  For best results let the phyllo sheets thaw in your refrigerator overnight, and take it put of the fridge at least 30 minutes before you start.  Keep the Phyllo dough between two clean towels while you work-  This keeps a little moisture in the dough and helps to keep the phyllo more pliable.

Rough Chop the Nuts.  One of the wonderful parts of this recipe is the crunch and texture.  You do not want nut dust!

Hot Baklava/ Cool Syrup.  This is a trick to keep your Baklava from getting soggy.  The hot pastry will properly absorb the cool honey syrup, and remain crispy.  Be sure to make the syrup first.

Don’t skimp on the Melted Butter or honey mixture.   The recipe needs the butter to keep the moisture in the phyllo, and the honey mixture holds the dessert together.

Cut before you Bake.  Important!  Use a sharp knife to cut the pastry pieces before you bake.  Once the pastry is baked, your phyllo will be hard and brittle.  Instead of beautiful diamond shaped cubes- you may end up with a mess-.  Cut the pastry into diamond shapes- The recipe should yield 24 good-sized pieces.

Allow your Baklava flavors to seep in.  Let the Baklava sit and cool completely before serving.  You want all that delicious syrup to seep into your dessert.  Baklava is even better the next day.

Storing your Baklava.  Baklava is best kept covered and at room temperature up to a week.  If you would like to freeze the Baklava dessert, use an airtight glass container.  It’s a great idea to freeze in small batches, so you are not thawing all of the Baklava if it is not all needed.  You can freeze baked Baklava for up to 3 months.  Thaw frozen Baklava in the refrigerator overnight – or at room temperature 3 hours before serving.

Mix it Up:

  • You can vary the nuts for different flavors and textures.
  • You can drizzle melted chocolate across the diamond squares for a different garnish
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