The Baklava is one of the best pastries out there. Simple yet effective, the layers of phyllo dough filled with honey, walnuts, and pistachios are a simple and amazing slice of heaven.
The Baklava is quite a popular pastry in Middle Eastern countries. While many countries claim it for their own, its supposed origins are Turkish. Regardless of who was the first to come up with it, we are grateful for this simple yet amazing pastry!
If you ever had anything close to the real baklava experience, you’ll know just how addictive it can be. It is also the perfect group treat so next time you’re looking to surprise or impress your office colleagues with your baking skills don’t forget about the baklava.
So what makes it so addictive? It is the combination of flavors and you can’t narrow it down to one specific ingredient. This dessert is made of alternating layers of crisp phyllo dough and a sugary spiced nut mixture, which are then soaked in a syrup made of honey, cinnamon, and lemon. While not a baker’s first-time recipe, if you can bake a cake, then the baklava is within reach. It can be a bit time-consuming but it is absolutely worth it!
One thing to watch out for in the beginning is how fragile the phyllo dough is. However, the end pastry is more than forgiving so don’t worry if it all crumbles. As long as the layers stand your baklava will be amazing nonetheless.
More Dessert Recipes to Love
Perfect Baklava
24
servings35
minutes35
minutes1
hour10
minutesThe Baklava is one of the best pastries out there. Simple yet effective, the layers of phyllo dough filled with honey, walnuts, and pistachios are a simple and amazing slice of heaven.
Ingredients
- For the baklava:
1 pound chopped nuts (walnuts, pistachios, or almonds are best)
1 pound phyllo dough
1 cup butter
1/3 cup sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/3 teaspoon ground cloves
- For the syrup:
1 cup water
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup honey
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 cinnamon stick
METHOD
- Leave the phyllo dough out overnight to thaw for the perfect texture.
- Set the oven to 350°F and lightly grease a standard (9×13) pan.
- Cut the dough so the sheets fit inside the pan.
- Grind the nuts until they are small pieces, but not too fine. Add the sugar, cinnamon, and cloves and mix them. In a separate bowl, melt the butter in the microwave.
- The base layer. Place a sheet of phyllo dough into the pan and grease it with the melted butter using a pastry brush. Continue this process until you have 8 sheets, each greased with butter.
- The middle layers. On top of the 8 sheets add a thin layer of the nut filling followed by another two sheets of dough (don’t forget to butter these up too). Repeat this process until all the nut mixture is used up.
- The top layers. Similar to the base layer, the top should be 8 phyllo dough sheets thick, each greeted with butter.
- Before putting the pan in the oven, don’t forget to cut your baklava into 24 equal-sized squares using a sharp knife – it is much easier to do this before baking as it won’t crumble all up. Once all nicely cut out, bake the mixture at 350°F for 30-35 minutes or until the top layers turn lightly golden brown, and edges appear slightly crisp. You can also use a fork to test the texture by lightly touching the top layer. If it’s doughy you should leave it in for slightly longer but if it crumbles and has the right color then it should be ready.
- While the baking is happening, make the syrup. Take a saucepan and mix the water, cinnamon stick, honey, sugar, and lemon juice. Once boiling, reduce to medium-to-low heat and let it simmer for about 7 minutes. The end product should be a syrupy texture. Lastly, remove the cinnamon stick and let it cool.
- The final step is to pour the cooled syrup over the hot baklava and let it blend and cool for at least four hours.
- Enjoy!
